Predator: Guardian Angels
by Raptor-Chick
Summary: The sequel to Body Theif. The continued adventures of a most un-Yautja-like Yautja, exiled on Earth to study the supernatural creatures that dwell there. Can he survive meeting with a whole new type that may prove deadlier than the Blood-drinkers?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

And so, I present my newest addition to my FanFic family. Kemiri and Deborah get to meet more problematic creatures. I currently have most of this written, courtesy of my time at work. Yay for free time! I have lots of updates for you now. Aren't I nice? A while back, I saw a headline on a newspaper saying that Edmonton would be getting Guardian Angels, or something along those lines. I immediately started imagining what a group called the Guardian Angels would be like in my messed up little mind. And so I came up with this. The real group is still cool.

_Disclaimer of hyperactivity: I do not own the Yautja(unfortunately) but I do own my character's personalities, and anyone else that you do not recognize from movies, comics or books. I also do not own the real Guardian Angels and I apologize if this story may offend a real one. All I have borrowed is the name. _

Chapter 1

A figure dashed over the rooftops, its form an indistinct heat waver in the night. Hurtling over the gap between to buildings it paused, crouching, a faint clicking sound emanating from its mandibles. It scanned the passing human figures, finally fixing on one. He, for it was most definitely male, tensed and was off again, patiently following his target. Perfect. He knew just where they were going to go. He would be ready. The human didn't seem to be in much of a rush, ambling along, occasionally peering into the shop displays to see what was new. Soon, they turned into an empty residential street. The hunter ran so he was just ahead, leaping off the building and uncloaking as he fell to land just in front of the human, who screamed loudly.

"Jesus fucking asscrackers! You scared the shit out of me, Kemiri!"

…..

"I am sorry, Deb'rah." he replied apologetically. "I only wanted to surprise you."

"You sure fuckin' did. Christ. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to walk you home from work."

She grunted.

Kemiri fell into pace beside her, adjusting his long stride for her much shorter one.

"What if someone sees you?"

He chuckled. "I can cloak and step into shadows if anyone comes. I notice them before they notice me."

"Cocky, aren't you?"

He clicked cheerfully. Soon, they reached Deborah's apartment. That was where they separated, Deborah going inside the building and Kemiri going up. Inside the apartment, Deborah nervously paced, listening to the kettle hiss as it boiled water for tea. She _really_ wished the Yautja wouldn't jump out at her like that! A gentle tapping came at the balcony door. Kemiri. She walked over and opened the door. He stepped in, sniffing the air as he always did, scanning the room for god only knew what. He sat down at the kitchen table. The kettle's switch clicked off as it boiled. She started preparing the tea. Behind her, Deborah heard a hiss as he undid the hoses on his mask. The was a thump as he put it down and a deep, slightly raspy breath as he took his first breath of the thinner atmosphere. Dropping the teabags in the cups, she turned, mentally preparing herself. There was his face, awful as always. Four clicking mandibles surrounded a small mouth filled with sharp teeth. Glittering above the gross mouth were his eyes; a beautiful, soft leaf green, the most pleasant part of his face. The rest of him was pale green, speckled in darker green. It was very, very different from the handsome, almost beautiful man that had first captured her interest. But, they were the same kind soul, in different bodies. She set one mug before Kemiri. He busied himself with his usual ritual; adding exactly three spoonfuls of sugar, adding milk, stirring, adding more milk and stirring until it reached the correct amount. He rumbled happily, inhaling the steam. He started drinking, somewhat awkwardly, though the heat did not seem to bother him. Deborah lowered her eyes so she wouldn't see the pink inside of his mouth. It was weird. She sipped at her tea, though it was really still too hot. It gave her something to do. Eventually, the evening was over. They said their goodbyes and Kemiri left.

…..

Kemiri's eyes lingered over Deborah, watching as she straightened up the living room. From his vantage on the roof of the opposite apartment building, it gave him a fairly good view. She was so beautiful to him. While she was much skinnier than any female he had ever known, she moved with an easy grace that said she was in good health. She flicked her head, neatly sending her long, black hair over her shoulder and out of her face. He was too far away to see her eyes, but they were pale blue. He remembered from when he had the other body. Just like he knew her skin was a pale, milky white. A queen carved in ice, or cool, clean stone. Kemiri got up. She would be mad if she knew he was watching her, but he couldn't help it; she had seemed so distant lately. This was the only time he could see her without the lines of tension running through her, without seeing the flicker in her eyes whenever she saw his maskless face. He knew it was not what she had been used to, but she should get used to it. It was not going to change.

…..

Back in Edan's old house, Kemiri settled in. He stripped off his awu'asa, cranked up the heat and turned on some music. Weaving his head in time to the orchestra and tapping the claws of his left hand to the beat, he pawed through coils of wire and other assorted electronic bits with the other. Selecting a number of components, he flipped over a fairly small, flat screen and pried up the back. The screen had been left for him by Elder D'jin-ta; his sole link to the Yautian world. He could pick up broadcasts from the Homeworld and clan ships and receive transmissions from the Council. He switched a number of wires, running them out to a DVD player and attaching them. If this worked, he would be able to see ooman movies again, instead of just listening and making up images. If this didn't work, both the screen and DVD player would likely be ruined. Kemiri was not a genius with electronics; he could not alter and design things as easily as breathing like some. But he was fairly competent, more than enough to do minor repairs and hopefully, good enough to make two alien technologies work with each other. He could do many other things if this worked. He could make the computer screen work for him, the television, and several other displays in the house. Right now, Deborah was doing everything for him, the bills and such. He didn't want to make her have to do that anymore. There was a sharp sizzle and a burning smell; Kemiri yelped and stuck his burned finger in his mouth. Muttering darkly, he pressed the power switch. The screen flickered to life, showing a small group of oomans on horseback charging an enormous horde of what seemed to be beastly perversions of oomans, all claws and teeth and brutish brows, waving crude swords and spears. He cackled with delight.

…..

A man fled down a darkened alley, fear etched across his face. He could hear her coming. Shit! It was such a huge mistake to come here, to try this… He was far too inexperienced. He realized now that there was no way he could ever escape her. She was like the wind, silent, ever-reaching. Eternal. He could not outrun her, but he could bide some time. Maybe he could find some others like himself, group together and make a stand. At least there would be a slim chance then. He flinched. A hand sliced down, the nails raking deep gouges from his brow to chin. His flinch turned into a recoil! She was there! He turned to flee again the other way when a knife sprouted out of the centre of his chest. He gasped, choked and fell. She strode over him, wreathed in the night.

"You tried to enter here. You failed." Her voice was husky and low with the pleasure of a successful hunt. "This is my town now and no one shall dare try to trespass again. _My_ territory. I shall not be so lenient as the old Master." She dipped low over him.

He screamed a final time.

…..

"We need more people, we still have far too little. It's not safe for us."

"Would you have me recruit without thought, just so that we may be powerful?"

"…No, sir. But the Ravens have far more. So do the Lions. We are the only ones here. We have no allies."

"Calm your paranoia. A smaller, closely knit group is much more powerful than a vast, un-schooled horde. We shall be fine. I know what I am doing. Besides, we do have allies in other cities. The Ravens have been our allies for decades, as have Ottawa's Eyrie. Lions have no interest in this territory anyways. We are fine."

_I like saying asscrackers… O.o_


	2. Chapter 2

_I hope I get a better response this update! I see you all reading this! Yeah! I see all with my friend the hit counter… (cackles) So please, please review this time! So, I'm leaving in a few days to work again, this time very far up north. It will be almost twenty-four hours of daylight, which will be kind of neat. Yep. I guess that's all. Oh, thanks to __**Bastet1023**__ for reviewing!_

_Sivk'va-tai- Plasma Caster._

_C'jit- Damn._

Chapter 2

Kemiri was enraptured by the joys of the Internet. You could buy so many useful things! He already had, with the aid of Edan's credit cards. Deborah had shown him how to use them, as well as setting up many things so he could pay them at home. They were not finished yet though; there was so much to do, even though Edan had set it up so many of the bills were withdrawn automatically. They still had to get some of the things transferred over to the name Kemiri Keigwin, a cousin of Edan. He would not have to worry about money because Edan had made a number of rather smart investments over the years. He had all his groceries delivered to the house, left outside. It was rather handy. He stretched, cracking his back. How long had he been sitting there? Obviously too long. What he needed to do was go out for a run.

…..

The night had a definite bite to it. It was still hot in the days, but once the sun descended it became quite cool. It held the promise of winter. He was chilled when he started, but running quickly warmed him up. Tourists still thronged the streets, milling like cattle. He continued on-or rather, started to and stopped when something caught his eye. It sent a spear of momentary terror through his stomach. It was a blood drinker. He was much cooler than the surrounding oomans and moved with an inhuman grace. His eyes narrowed, a growl issuing from his throat. He watched it carefully and started following it. The vampire was hunting too, but not an ooman. He could have pounced on any number of victims. No, he was after something else. The blood drinker was going towards a dark area, far away from the crowds. Good. It would make it easier when Kemiri killed him.

…..

But, as it turned out, the blood drinker was not alone. There was another, waiting for him at the end of a long, dark street. Families were inside their homes, happily oblivious to the impending carnage. The new blood drinker was female. She was slender and tiny, almost child-like in delicacy of limb and face. She was as chill as stone and as unmoving as a mountain. Kemiri sensed great power from her. The male hissed loudly, baring his fangs. He spat something in a language he did not recognize. The female replied in the same. They were still for a bare moment. Kemiri did not see them move. The met briefly in a clash of limbs and flew apart, staring again. Neither appeared to be injured. They met again and again, testing each other's defenses. They appeared to be almost perfectly matched. She attacked and feinted, ripping at his back with her hand. He stumbled. She whirled again, ripping out his throat, leaping on him and smashing his head into the ground with a loud crack. The vampire moved spastically. The female dipped her head to feed at the gaping wound at his neck. Then, with brutal efficiency, reached down and tore his head off like someone twisting an apple off a branch.

…..

Kemiri watched her drag the body away, presumably to bury it or burn it. More vampires! Why were they here? He killed Edan; shouldn't his death be a warning? There seemed to be some sort of urgency about them. Vampires were loners; they shouldn't group together like this, even to kill. He sat more comfortably on the roof, chin resting on his hand. Beneath his mask, Kemiri's brow was furrowed. He clicked absently.

"Hello." someone said very near his ear.

Kemiri's breath caught in his throat. Adrenaline surged. He jumped straight up, landing on the second level of the house's roof from his perch on the roof of the garage. His ki'cti-pa shot out. The female blood drinker was standing behind where he had been. She looked amused. Kemiri wished very strongly that he had put on his sivk'va-tai, his plasma caster. He had no projectile weapons of any sort. The only things he had were his ki'cti-pa and a dagger. He had not been expecting battle.

She laughed, a clear, bell-like sound. "What manner of creature are you?"

He growled, deep and continuous.

She _tsked._ "So rude. _You_ were the one spying on me. I heard your heartbeat. It was very loud, like a drum."

Kemiri bolted. He had no chance against her.

Mocking laughter sounded beside him. She was easily matching his pace.

"Get away!" he roared.

"Oh, so it speaks!"

"Away, blood drinker!"

"What have I done to you, creature?"

"You exist!" He lashed out with his still-extended wrist blades. She jumped away, impossibly far, her skirts billowing out around her as she dropped neatly down.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?"

Kemiri jumped down an alley, kicked in a door and ran into a restaurant's dry storage room. C'jit. Dead-end. He froze, hiding behind a shelf.

She snorted. "Fine. Hide from me. I still know where you are, creature." She walked away. Kemiri stayed in there for a very long time.

…..

Deborah neatly avoided a customer exiting the hallway that held the bathroom, hardly sloshing the drinks on the tray she carried. She set them out on a customer's table and spun away to collect empty plates at another. She was in her element. The place was packed, mostly with tourists, but the bistro was still pleasant to work in. The dinner rush was nearly over; the line up was gone and most people were done or almost done their entrees. She waved at her boss, smiling. The older woman waved in return and turned back to the customers paying for their meals. It was a good place to work. Just Deborah, her boss Cassandra and the cook were there most of the time. In the busiest months, like now, Cassandra usually hired a student or two to hostess and help wait on tables. The girl had called in sick, unfortunately. They managed, but at the peak of the dinner rush, they had been swamped. Finally, there were only two tables left. One held a newly married couple and the other held a lone man.

He was… Striking. He had a huge, deep chest and incredibly broad shoulders. His hair was blond and longish, slightly tousled. His face had a strong bone structure and finely chiseled lines. The eyebrows were thick and straight. The left one was cut in half by a faint white scar. There was a matching one on his temple and below his eye, on his cheekbone. His eyes were light hazel and he was tanned. He wore a pale lilac dress shirt and black dress pants. A black suit jacket was hanging over the seat beside him.

"Could I have the bill, please?" he asked Deborah, smiling.

"Of course." she replied. She brought it and handed it to him. She noticed his hands had a number of small scars on them too, mostly old.

"Thank you." he said. He scanned it, took out some cash and handed it and the receipt to Deborah.

"You gave me too much."

"No, no. That's for you."

Deborah blushed despite herself. He smiled again.

"My name is Ulf." He extended a hand.

She took it. "Mine's Deborah."

"A pleasure to meet you, Deborah. What time are you off at?"

"Um, midnight."

"Would you like to go for a drink then?"

"Oh, uh, I can't… I have to meet someone later…"

"Oh. Well. Maybe some other time. Here's my number in case you change your mind."

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Ulf."

"You too, Deborah."

…..

Deborah waited in her apartment for Kemiri. He was late. He wasn't usually. She had just wanted to sit with him a little while and then go to bed. She was tired and had to work the lunch shift the next day. She needed sleep. She waited for him for nearly an hour and was about to get up and go to bed when he tapped at the balcony window.

"I though you were going to be here at twelve-thirty?"

"I am sorry… Something came up."

"What sort of thing? Or can you not tell me?"

Kemiri shifted his weight back and forth. "It would upset you."

She stared at him. "Kemiri. I have had just about enough of your goddamned secretive ways. Why do you think it will upset me? Am I too weak to know about your great alien secrets? Not worthy?"

Kemiri stammered, shocked. "N-no. I think you are very strong. It was… There are more blood drinkers here."

"Whoop-di-fuckin' do. They aren't bothering me."

"One chased me. I did not want to lead it here."

"Maybe if you would leave them alone, you wouldn't have to worry about them trying to get you?"

"I only want to protect you, Deb'rah…"

"Maybe I don't want your protection! I've looked after myself well enough for years!"

"Stop…"

Something snapped inside Deborah. "NO! I've been trying to work things out between us, but it isn't going to happen! You are a fucking _alien_! How the hell am I supposed to have a relationship with you?! I can't go out for dinner or to the movies with you, I can't let you meet my friends, I can't even introduce you to my mother! Everyone thinks I'm turning into some sort of recluse, hiding away from the real world! What am I supposed to do, Kemiri? I want kids someday, how am I going to get those from YOU?! Why did you even come into my life?!"

"I never meant to meet you, or to love you! Wanted only to get my body! Wanted only to die! I live for you now!"

"I don't CARE! Go ahead and _die_ for all I care, you ugly son of a bitch! I can't even stand to look at you anymore! Go play with your stupid vampires! Go meddle in someone else's life! GET OUT!" she screamed, voice cracking.

Kemiri flinched, cringing away from her, a sharp pain in his chest. He ran, shoving the sliding door open so hard it cracked. He jumped off the balcony, plummeting. The impact jarred up his shins and into his spine. His feet and ankles went numb. He fell over. Got up. Stumbled. Almost fell again. Managed to start running. He didn't stop until he reached his house, blinded with pain.

…..

The next day at work, on her break, Deborah called Ulf.

_Ooh, troubles in paradise…_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Not much to say here. I've been working my ass off. Twelve hour days are hard and adjusting to the night shift is not the most fun, but the pay is good and I still enjoy myself. I didn't write anything in the past week because I was too tired. I'd probably end up spelling my name wrong. I'm addicted to Metroid Prime though. Lucky that I have so much already written. So, please read and review!_

Chapter 3

Kemiri was awake and numb. He had been awake for nearly three days straight. He didn't believe it still. How could he have been ruining her life? He was hardly in it. He did not ask for much. All he wanted was to spend some time with her. She should have told him she was not happy. He would have tried to make it better. He got up. Got into his awu'asa, making sure he put on some projectile weapons this time, though he thought that he might like to die again. He left and started wandering, moving like a robot.

He found himself on the roof opposite Deborah's apartment. She was getting ready for something. He sighed and sat down more comfortably, elbows on his knees, chin on his hands. Kemiri watched her for several minutes. This time, he heard her come up. She had made an effort to be noisy.

"What do you want?" he groaned.

"Oh, no running and screaming this time?"

"No."

"You like her?"

Kemiri grunted.

The blood drinker looked at him sideways. "Something happened, didn't it? She didn't like it that you were different?"

"How did you know? Wait. Stay out of my head." He scowled at her, though she would not be able to see it because of his mask.

She laughed tinkly again. "No. All I get from you is a haze of unhappy emotions. I got it from _her_. She is very angry. She's going out with someone else tonight."

The Yautja felt a new stab of sorrow.

"Why do you do this?"

The vampire shrugged her tiny shoulders. "I am sorry. Perhaps lack of practice. It has been a long time since I spoke to a mortal for any length of time." She scooted closer and smoothed her skirts over her knees, sitting with her back perfectly straight. "I do not see what is so terrible." She touched his arm. He flinched away from her ice-cold fingers.

"Do not touch me."

She pouted prettily.

"Try to feed on me and you will be sorry. I killed the last blood drinker who tried it. Besides, my blood made him very sick"

The vampire smiled. "So you were the one that killed Edan?"

Kemiri looked at her. She looked sly. "Yes."

"Fascinating. Every vampire who came and tried was killed or terrified out of their minds. Said he had a strange power."

"Yes. He taught it to me."

"Ooh, a threat?"

"Why are there so many blood drinkers here?"

"Because you killed Edan. He ruled the city. Now there is a power vacuum. Vacuums must be filled. That is why we have come."

"What do you mean?"

"Most cities, certainly all the large ones, have a single powerful vampire who holds it as their territory. They control the food source. They sometimes tolerate a few newly made vampires, or allow others to live there if they do not threaten them. Sometimes a group will rule, but that does not last long. Vampires cannot stand each other for too long. We are loners by nature. Edan was young but strong and this is a desirable territory. I plan on holding it. Really, you only have to worry about one vampire. The rest will not be around long." She flashed fangs at him.

"Go away."

"Fine. We shall see more of each other." She was gone, faster than he could see.

…..

Deborah hummed to herself, as she dragged a brush through her hair. She was trying very hard not to think about Kemiri. It wasn't working well. He made her _so_ angry! But she remembered how hurt he was too. No. She had to think of Ulf now. He wanted to see her and she could go out with him, be seen in public without people running and screaming. He was so normal compared to Kemiri! After what had happened, Deborah desperately needed normalcy. She did a last check on her appearance and swept out.

…..

Ulf was waiting in the coffee shop. He was dressed more casually this time, in black pants and a polo shirt. He stood up when she came in. He was shorter than she thought before, his legs slightly too short for his body. They were about the same height. He smiled warmly.

"So glad you could come."

Deborah let herself smile a little.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, um, a chai latte." She sat down. He came back a few moments later with the drinks. They chatted for a while, sipping their drinks.

"Are you all right?" he asked eventually. "You seem a little sad."

"It's nothing."

He nodded, leaving it alone. Later on though, wandering the streets, watching the tourists and buskers, he brought it up again, once she was more comfortable around him.

"Do you need to talk about anything? I won't say anything. It's just good to have someone to listen."

"No… Well, I just broke up with someone. He… He just wasn't right. We were too different. He wasn't what I thought he was when I met him. I feel really bad about it though. He was so hurt. And, god, I'm hoping this isn't going to be a rebound and another mistake. It's really too soon."

"We can just keep it casual. You just move at your own speed. If you just want to be friends, that's fine."

Deborah smiled weakly, wanting to cry again.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Ulf seemed to come to a decision at the end of the night, walking her back to her apartment.

"Do you want to get together again Saturday night?"

"Um, sure. I don't have to work the evening shift that night. What time?"

"Fairly late. About eleven-thirty. Is that okay?"

"Yeah."

"Make sure you come wearing something comfortable. Exercise clothes and sensible shoes would be best."

"Where?"

"I'll text you with the location if you wouldn't mind giving me your cell number."

"Is this just an elaborate ploy to get my number?"

"You tell me."

"Okay. Would you like to come up? I'll give it to you then. I don't have a pen with me."

"Are you sure this isn't just an elaborate ploy to get me to come into your place?"

Deborah laughed. "Touché."

"I'll come up. I can't stay too long though."

…..

Kemiri was still on the roof. His heart pounded when he saw Deborah was walking with a man. He started to feel a strange emotion boiling like acid in his chest, hazing his vision. They walked up together. Kemiri zoomed in with his mask and studied the male's heat signature carefully. He ran a little hotter than usual. Easy to find. He would remember him very well. He spent a few tense moments on the roof, breathing a sigh of relief when the male finally left. Kemiri resisted the urge to follow him and rip out his spine, though he wanted to do that and many other much worse things to him.

…..

Deborah walked hurriedly through the night streets. Fuck! She was going to be late! She practically ran to the small park where Ulf had told her to meet. When she got there, she recognized his stocky silhouette instantly. He wasn't alone. There were about another dozen people there. She started in, a little hesitantly. They stared at her. Most of them were sitting, lounging on the grass. Everyone was dressed in black.

"Ulf?"

"So good you could come, Deborah."

"What is this?"

"This is my group. It's what I do on the weekends."

"Oookay… And that would be…?" Deborah was starting to wonder if this was such a good idea.

A few of the surrounding people laughed gently, whispering to each other. She had the feeling she was missing something important.

"You know how there are so many weirdoes out there? People who make the streets unsafe? People who hurt others for no reason other than personal gain, or because they can't hold down a job, or for fun? We stop them. We run the streets after dark and keep them safe for people who wouldn't be able to enjoy the night otherwise. We are the Guardian Angels."


	4. Chapter 4

_So I now have internet and a laptop. Glee! I hope I start getting a better response from this story; it's very depressing. I know this isn't the typical Predator story, but Kemiri isn't the typical Predator. There will be a great deal of blood coming up in the next few chapters if that is what people are worried about. Geez, people worried because of a lack of blood… Or something. But, please, please, PLEASE read and review!_

Chapter 4

"Guardian Angels?" Deborah fought to keep from laughing. "What the hell?"

"I know it's a little weird, but… We are making a difference."

She heard one of the other people whisper to another, "Her reaction is almost the same as yours was, except without the hysterical laughter."

"Shut up." he hissed back.

"Is it like a gang?"

"No, no. Just a gathering of friends. I just want you to see what it is like for one night. You don't have to join."

"Um, okay. I guess I can just spend one night…"

"Thank you for staying Deborah. Now, normally there are more of us."

"More?"

"Yes. Usually about twenty-nine of us. Not everyone could come tonight. So, we walk and run through the streets. There are one or two larger groups and a number of scouts. The scouts are the lightest and fastest and can cover the most ground. When they find trouble, they let the rest of us know and we stop it." He swept an appraising eye over Deborah. "You could be a scout with training. In the more dangerous parts of town, the scouts have a partner with them, who will run for help if needed. They are the less experienced scouts. In the main body we have those who are more evenly balanced and those who are the biggest and strongest. They go in first if the criminal is very dangerous. I am Alpha. I'm obviously one of the bigger ones. This is one of my Betas, Inge."

He gestured over a big woman who probably stood six feet high. She was powerfully built.

"She's one of the heavies, as we call them. Here is my other Beta, Leif."

An average-sized man came over. He had flaming red hair. Deborah noticed with some amusement that he was shorter than Inge, but then again, he was a little taller than Ulf. She wondered why Ulf's growth seemed to have been stunted.

"If I am not around, they are in charge. Now, if you join, you need to have the right clothing."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked. She was wearing black yoga pants with a bright blue waistband and a black t-shirt with a zip hoodie. Her jogging shoes were blue and white.

"The blue and white has to go. Too bright. Only black or dark gray. Your hoodie is too tight around the shoulders too. It will restrict movement. Your hair should be either cut short or put in a tight braid or bun. If it is loose, it will usually be the first thing someone will grab. Your earrings are too big. Only wear studs."

Deborah felt slightly exposed.

Ulf laughed. "Don't worry. Everyone goes through this."

"At least I'm not the only one."

Ulf motioned. All the others stood up and closed in.

"See what they are wearing?"

She did. Their shirts ranged from t-shirts to long sleeved tee's to hoodies to mesh to leather jackets. She noted with a twinge of nervousness that several people wore bullet proof vests. Their pants ranged from worn jeans to leggings to yoga pants. Two women were wearing nylons. Footwear ranged from running shoes to hiking boots to chunky goth shoes to combat boots. Everyone seemed to be wearing something protective. There were knee, elbow and wrist pads, leather bracelets or collars, arm guards, thick belts, small pieces of chain mail or pieces of leather or tough fabric sewn onto sensitive places. Most wore gloves, from leather to armored biker gloves to light riding gloves. Fingers were optional. Many had studs on the knuckles or small pieces of metal or chain on them. One young man had little claws on the fingers of his. Their hair was either close-cropped, tied back tightly or under a tight hat or rag or headband. The only real similarities in their clothes was the color and that it allowed movement with some protection. All jewelry was small and discrete. Any zippers, buttons, snaps or studs, if they were not dull or already darkly colored, were painted black.

"We should start soon. Deborah, I'll put you with two people that will look after you. I have to be in the front. Marie, Charlotte." Two women stepped forward. Charlotte wore a t-shirt dress over nylons and knee-high combat boots. Her hair was long and a beautiful dark brown, braided back. She was fairly tall and slim. Marie was average in height and build, but made up for that by being out there in fashion. She wore a fishnet shirt and black skinny jeans. She had a thick, spiked leather collar and matching bracelets and belt. There were leather gloves on her hands, with white bones printed on them. She wore sneakers. Her hair was shaved off the back and sides of her head. The remainder was dyed the color of blueberry juice, except for the bangs, which were pale lavender. Her hair was gathered up in pigtails. She had multiple piercings and visible tattoos.

"Okaaay… So now what?" Deborah asked them.

"Now we run. I hope you're in shape!" Marie said with a grin.

They jogged easily through the city. Deborah kept up easily. Everyone was in good humor, yelling jokes and friendly insults. They had plenty of energy too, leaping over benches and garbage cans, racing ahead, running up to walls and performing flips off them, swinging off low tree branches and running along the edge of the odd fountain, daring one of the others to try and push them in. Their stunts were wonderful to watch. Deborah felt a great sense of companionship. They were all friends and got along. After a few blocks, they settled down and the pace increased. The Guardian Angels stopped most of their chatter and fell in behind Ulf. Ahead, Deborah saw something suspicious. A darkened shop with flashlights waving inside.

Ulf threw his head back and howled. The Guardian Angels threw their heads back and howled or let out wild, shrieking war cries. Cries sounded from within the shop.

"Fuck! It's them!"

They surged ahead with surprising speed, Marie and Charlotte urging Deborah along from either side. Two men ran out of the shop, dropping bags of something. They had no chance. In seconds, they were surrounded.

"Brendan. I thought we put you away." Ulf said, shaking his head in disappointment and stepping into the circle.

"They let us out. C'mon man. Don't do this again." He nervously touched a healing scar on his cheek.

"Why would they do that?"

"Not enough evidence. We wasn't gonna take much, man. I just got a couple debts I needed to pay. I promise I'll get a proper job after, Ulf."

"Who is your friend? I don't think I've seen him before."

"Just leave him alone. He didn't do nothing."

Ulf tilted his head to the side, staring. The other man tried to duck down behind Brendan.

"Please man. Not again."

"Put everything back."

"Yes sir, Ulf-man." They scurried into the shop, gathering up the bags. Deborah saw DVDs sticking out. They slunk back out, looking like guilty children.

"I want both of you to get nice, proper jobs."

"Yeah, man."

"I don't want to see you here again."

"Yeah."

"I will be watching. I don't want to have to deal with you. I won't be so lenient next time. Get."

They got.

…..

Later, the Guardian Angels walked with Deborah back to her apartment.

"I was impressed with the way you talked that man down, made him stop what he was doing."

"Most of the time that is what we try to do. We only get physical if we have no other choice. We actually don't see that many problems. It usually seems like we're just an exercise club."

Deborah laughed.

"Are you interested in joining?"

"I think so. Everyone seems like nice people. I think I might like to try and make a difference. Just a bunch of vigilantes, eh?"

"Yes. But because we are just civilians, we can see the immediate problems a lot better."

"Count me in then, Ulf."

They howled joyously.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hmmm… So, not much is new here, again. I've become rather boring as of late. I hope to go see Batman and Wall-e soon. So, please read and review because I love the reviews. I LOVE THEM SO GOOD!_

_Yin'tekai- Honor._

_S'pke- Fruit stew._

_Paya- Term of respect, conquoring warrior._

Chapter 5

To prevent himself from thinking about Deborah, Kemiri threw himself into organizing the house. Since he killed Edan and was exiled there, Kemiri had done little to it. Now he stuffed away all of Edan's clothes, throwing them in bags in the basement since he did not know what else to do with it. He got rid of any ornaments he was not particularly fond of and smashed up Edan's coffin, feeling delight in causing destruction. He worked feverishly on his electronic projects, making them neater and easier to switch around his screen. But it still was not enough. He could not concentrate on movies or use the computer, he found no interest in what few Yautian entertainment transmissions he received and in any case, he had never liked the filmed gladiatorial fights much. Kemiri was going slightly crazy trying to keep his mind off Deborah and that male he had seen her with.

There was a knock at the door. Kemiri stuck his head around the kitchen door. Who could it be? The last time someone had knocked at the door it had been a pair of well-dressed oomans. They had lingered for a very long time, calling out for Edan, trying to peek in the windows.

Kemiri had yelled, "Edan does not live here anymore!" But they had yelled right back, asking if he would like some new literature to enjoy and wouldn't he like to let them in? Finally, after yelling back and forth for a few minutes, he had cloaked, gone upstairs and thrown a bucket of water on them from a window. They hadn't come back. He cautiously stepped out of the kitchen. He switched vision modes on his mask, glad he had it on. He had taken to leaving it off. The figure was an ooman, short and slender.

"Go away!" he called.

"Let me in!" came an all too familiar voice.

The warrior growled and stalked over, yanking the door open. The female blood drinker was there.

"How you know where I live?"

"I followed you one night. May I come in?"

"No!" Kemiri slammed the door shut. He glared at the door a final time and strode away. He just got into the kitchen when he heard the door open. "How did you get in?"

"We do not need to be invited in, contrary to popular belief."

"No…" he growled. "I know that. It locked!" In his agitation, his English deteriorated.

"I can open locked doors." she replied smugly.

"Out!"

"You are so rude. I do not care to leave."

Kemiri glared, but there was little he could do. She could tear him apart with her bare hands if she cared to. He supposed he was lucky that she hadn't decided to pull the door off the hinges instead of unlocking it. He walked back into the kitchen. She followed.

"Lovely décor. Edan's work?"

He grunted.

She peered into a pot on the stove. Inside was a reddish brown mixture, bubbling slowly like boiling mud. It had a very strong, spiced odor. She wrinkled her nose and replaced the lid.

"What is that?"

"S'pke. A fruit stew." he answered. Kemiri sighed. "Would you like a drink?" he asked reluctantly.

The vampire laughed. "… Really?" she said slyly.

"Not that kind."

"Oh, I know. I'm just teasing you. I fed tonight anyways."

"Tea?"

"I do not drink… Tea."

Kemiri stared at her, head tilted to the side.

"Never mind. I would love some, thank you."

He turned and started filling the kettle. There was a plate with a piece of raw meat sitting on it in a pool of blood. She trailed her finger through it, licking the blood off slowly.

"What is your name?" the vampire asked suddenly. "I do not know it. Mine is Elizabeth."

"Kemiri."

It was quiet again, the only sound being the hiss of the kettle. Kemiri poured the boiling water into the teapot, carrying it into the living room. The vampire thought he looked slightly ridiculous carrying the fine china teapot in his clawed hand. Elizabeth poured herself a cup, declining the milk and sugar.

"Were you going to eat?"

He shrugged.

"You may eat anyways. I don't find it rude." The Yautja shifted and then decided to get up. He came back with a bowl of the fruit stuff and the meat. He sat back down, but didn't move.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you going to eat?" When he didn't answer, she said, "Is there something wrong?"

Kemiri clicked and slowly raised his hands and disconnected the hoses on his mask. He placed both large hands over it and pulled it off. A large expanse of forehead was exposed. Kemiri lowered it just so a pair of bright green eyes was exposed, pausing there. He came to a decision and put it down with a thump. Elizabeth looked blandly at him, giving no sign that his face bothered her in any way. He sighed in relief and started eating hungrily.

…..

"So what was with that little event at the table?" the blood drinker asked.

"Deb'rah… She does not like my face. It frightened her, made her feel ill. Why did you not react? Everyone else does."

"Are you normal looking for your species?"

He nodded.

"Then why worry? You are the way you are. I did not flinch because when you have lived as long as I have, you see many terrible things. You're not so bad. I have seen such awful things that you would wish to tear your own eyes from your head."

"I do not think so. My species are hunters. I have cleaned many a carcass, seen horrible things. Not much bothers me."

Elizabeth smiled and poured herself another cup, very dainty and neat. Kemiri noticed that she only wore long skirts and usually high-necked tight shirts or bodices. Most women would never be caught dead in such an old-fashioned get up.

"How old are you?" the Yautja asked.

"Why, that is so rude! Asking a lady how old she is!"

He looked worried.

"I'm just teasing you. Guess." Kemiri thought hard. Blood drinkers seemed to get stronger as they aged and she was much stronger than Edan had been.

"Five hundred years?"

"Shy by three hundred years!"

"If you are so strong, then why not kill Edan before? He was not so old."

"When vampires get so old, it is because we like to live. We do not survive so long because we are stupid or suicidal. Edan held this city for a reason and he managed to scare away or kill anyone who challenged him. Most older vampires do not kill a City Master so they may hold it. We let a younger vampire do it or wait for them to go mad and off themselves or have someone discover them and kill them. We're manipulative. It happens fairly often. The Master may have some vampires they made around, not treating them well, they get resentful and gang together to kill him. They cannot get along and start killing each other and then the rest of us move in during the chaos. We can do that here. In Europe there are many of us, ruled by the Ancients. Only when a Master dies here do we get a chance to be in power. The Ancients are greedy and do not share power. Why are you here?" asked the blood drinker.

"I am exiled."

"Oh. How could that happen?"

"I violated my yin'tekai, my honor. I wanted to die but Elder D'jin-ta would not let me."

"Why not?"

"He wanted me to stay here and study oomans and strange creatures like you. I am forbidden from setting foot on the Homeworld again or even going on a Yautja ship unless an Elder gives me permission."

"What did you do?"

"I killed young females. We do not kill children or pregnant or unarmed females. I did. I tried to kill myself but it did not work, so I decided to destroy Edan for cursing me and then die. D'jin-ta brought me back from death. I think that if Deb'rah had not been there then even he would not have been able to make me live. I lived for her, I think. Deb'rah hates me now and I still want to die. Paya D'jin-ta forbids me from doing the deed though. I am useful for him here."

"That's terrible! How could Edan have cursed you though?"

"No. I will not tell you. There are things I do not want you to know about me."

"Fair enough. I suppose we must all have some secrets." She picked up his mask, which he had not put back on after eating, turning it over in her hands. She held it to her face, huge though it was compared to her head. She traced the strong, plain lines of the mask. "Marvelous piece of work." Elizabeth commented absently.

Kemiri nodded. She glanced at him. She could not read what he was thinking like with humans. She could feel his emotions though. They were more ancient and less alien. He was feeling very depressed and lonely. She felt some revulsion from him as well. Elizabeth supposed it was because he was talking with a vampire and he so obviously hated vampires. She stayed with him until almost dawn, just talking.


	6. Chapter 6

_So, I saw Batman. Bloody glorious movie. They pushed that rating to the limit! In my theatre, it was only rated PG, which was shocking. The small children seeing it must be having dreams of the Joker cackling at them. At least, I hope so. It's my general opinion that children need more fear in their lives. Everything is so carefully stripped of terror around them, despite the escalating violence in the media. Some of the coolest ideas come from nightmares. I was reading a silly woman's magazine the other day and it had a whole section telling women it was normal to fantasize about your ex's, or other people, or of being dominated. Would they think it was normal if some of us told them of our obsessions with things that aren't even human? Mmm… Yautja… Heh. So, even though I have not been getting reviews except from my beloved __**Bastet1023**__, I'm going to keep updating this out of sheer bloody-mindedness. Enjoy._

Chapter 6

Deborah waited in the cool night, surrounded by the Guardian Angels. They were waiting for just a few more to show up. Ulf was standing very near to her, his body throwing off heat like a furnace. Already, people were beginning to separate into three groups; Ulf's group, Inge's group and Leif's group. They knew their places. Once they were there, the other two groups headed off, running almost silently.

"I have something for you." Ulf rumbled.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"A knife." He handed it to her. It was fairly small, with an antler handle, set in a canvas sheath.

"Why do I need a knife?"

"For protection. You know that this is not entirely risk free. We all have them." Charlotte said, pointing to hers helpfully.

Deborah felt unsure again.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe," the big man said, patting her on the shoulder.

"Well, all right…"

He smiled, his teeth white in the dark. "Shall we?"

…..

They fell into an easy rhythm, though Deborah felt that they were still holding back slightly for her. She was in good shape, but they were in superb shape. Not a single person in the Guardian Angels was fat or puffed when they ran. Most could hold a conversation perfectly normally while they moved at a fair clip. Deborah knew people who panted when they tried to talk and walk at the same time.

Pulling up beside Ulf, she asked, "How fast do you normally go? I know this isn't how fast you usually go."

"Want to see?" He whistled through his teeth. The Angels suddenly surged ahead. Instead of a jog, this was a flat out run for her.

She struggled to keep up for a moment, then succumbed to laughter. "Okay, okay! I get it!"

They slowed back down.

"You'll get used to it soon." Ulf said. "Very soon."

"If you say so." Like she thought before, this was mostly like an evening exercise group; they saw no crimes beyond someone casing out a house, who vanished when he saw the large group coming, deciding to go avoid his crimes for the evening and what was probably a drug dealer selling his wares to a slightly mad looking woman. At least, there were none until they turned down another residential street. There was a house. All the lights were on and they could hear screaming and shouting very clearly.

"What do we do now?" she asked. "Do we go in and stop them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"That's private. We don't go into people's homes. The streets are public; we won't get in trouble. Or if we do, it will be a minimum. We can use the exercise group alibi. If we enter someone's house, they can press charges. We don't want that to happen."

"So what if someone gets hurt?"

"We do something else instead." Ulf took out a cell phone and dialed 911. "Hi. I am reporting a domestic dispute that looks like it might be going bad in a hurry. No. Yes. Thank you." He gave the address and flicked the phone shut. "Now, we can just continue on now. The police will sort it out soon enough."

…..

The night was almost over when a very faint howl sounded. Ulf froze, head cocked to the side, listening intently. He howled back. With a jerk of his head, they clustered in close, unified. They started running, hard and fast, in silence. Luckily, it was mostly down hill. The other two groups of Guardian Angels were there, surrounding two rough-looking men. They looked creepy, a mass of black, pale faces floating above like small moons.

"What is their crime?" the Alpha growled.

Inge took a step forward, her low voice angry. "They robbed a woman. One raped her. The other was waiting his turn."

"The woman?"

"Claire and Damien are taking her to the hospital."

"You made a very, very bad choice."

Part of the circle opened invitingly. One started edging towards it, perhaps thinking he could out-run them. The Guardian Angels leaped towards them with a feral sound. Both men started fleeing, the pack on their heels.

Deborah was caught up in the tight group of people. It was dark and they jostled her on all sides, the only sound coming from their feet and the hiss of breath. They were running flat out, Deborah only able to keep up because the only other choice was to be trampled. She found herself afraid, adrenaline pounding through her veins. What had seemed a cheerful group had suddenly transformed into something ugly. A scream from ahead, followed by a swear. Charlotte and Marie were on either side of her again. Their knives were out.

"Go, go!" urged Marie, "Draw your blade!"

They pushed her ahead. She could see the two criminals again. They were struggling to keep away from the black wave behind them, like villagers fleeing a tsunami. Their clothes and their flesh, to a slightly lesser extent, were in shreds, stained with blood. As she watched, a slender figure darted out from the pack. She could not tell if they were male or female. Silver flashed as they ripped another gash in them. A jolt ran through her stomach.

"Go!" hissed someone in her ear.

"The woman could have been you!"

"You can do it!"

Deborah, feeling as though someone else was controlling her, reached out and slashed at one man. Electricity sang through her as the vibration of tearing cloth and underneath that, the resistance of skin was transmitted through her blade and up her arm. Something awoke in her. She had just attacked someone and in the anonymity of the Guardian Angels, wanted to do it again. Absurdly, she suddenly remembered a saying she had heard once, 'Humans are intelligent, rational creatures. People are dumb, panicky animals.' She lost her inhibitions towards violence. They were right; that woman _could_ have been her! In another life it seemed, when she still went out clubbing regularly, walked home late, often alone and usually drunk. When she had not thought. When she still thought herself invincible. Before the horror of Edan. She leaped ahead again and slashed the other with a snarl! He screamed, the sound goading her on. She was about to do it again when a hand pulled her back. It was Ulf. He looked very wild and aggressive, feral, his eyes glinting oddly in the dark.

"Leave some for the others," he growled, his voice echoing his appearance. The wild flight continued on for a moment, until one criminal stumbled and fell. They closed in tight, a dark envelope, flashing with silver.

Once it was over, they disbanded. Deborah walked home in a daze, adrenaline still singing through her veins. Away from the others, rational thought tried to creep in. She had hurt someone. Their blood was on her knife. She suddenly wanted to throw the knife away, into the bushes, a dumpster, but couldn't. She kept it close. Once in her apartment, she undressed, putting her sweaty, dirty Angel clothes, as she thought of them, in a separate corner of the room. She didn't want them around her ordinary clothes. Deborah showered and went to bed, thinking only minimally. She had changed that night. She didn't know if it was for the good or the bad.


	7. Chapter 7

_So here I am in my bloody-mindedness, updating away. I'm getting a tattoo soon and I'm terrified. I was terrified for my nose piercing too and being jabbed with tiny needles hundreds of times can't be any worse than having a piece of metal stabbed through the cartilage of my nostril, can it? Ahahahaa… (whimpers) So, here's a new chapter for __**Bastet1023**__ who is awesome for reviewing._

Chapter 7

Kemiri tilted his head to the side. His eye caught movement. While he was not much of a hunter by personal choice, he had all the instincts, bred into him for thousands of years. He was in swiftly in motion, leaping over the edge of a building, landing on the roof of another below him, flattening against a shed enclosing access stairs. A group of perhaps ten oomans, running hard, following another slightly farther ahead. No. _Hunting_ another. He had never seen oomans move in such a coordinated fashion, following a leader. Bizarre. They usually moved as an unorganized rabble. Just when he thought he had seen it all, they'd go out and surprise him. He was about to turn away when another peculiarity caught his eye. They were all running a little hotter than usual, he supposed it could have been because of strenuous exercise were it not for one who was not… DEBORAH! His mind screamed in recognition. He zoomed in. It was HER! What was she doing with them?! THERE WAS THE MALE! The one she had allowed into her apartment! Kemiri's hands clenched into fists, the tendons standing out like steel cables on his wrists. The wind gusted around him, stirring his dreadlocks. He was off again, running and leaping and dodging. The warrior wanted to leap out and snatch her away from the odd group. He was very close now. The buildings were low here. He could have jumped down, attacked the male and jumped back up again before they could do anything. One slowed, stopped, head raised. They were sniffing the air. It was very obvious from their movements. His musk. Most oomans could smell it and found it distasteful. Deborah had not liked it, so when he was still seeing her, he had bathed every time he saw her. He had let that slide now. It did not mean he was not clean. His body was just producing its natural pheromones, unhampered by scented soaps. They shouldn't be able to smell him though. Ooman noses were weak. Oomans were mainly visual creatures. Kemiri didn't move, trusting on his cloaking device to hide him. They started pacing back and forth, coming closer with every loop. Their movement was odd, almost bestial. Should he attack? They ran with the male, so they were affiliated with him, so he immediately did not like them. The wind shifted again. The ooman stayed a moment longer, scanning the shadows, nostrils flared, shrugged and then started running hard in the direction the group had gone. He contemplated following and after another moment's hesitation, did.

…..

They ran all over the place for over an hour, chasing another ooman, speaking to others. Eventually, they disbanded, going their separate ways. For a moment, the Yautja was afraid the male would go with her again, but he did not. Kemiri followed on the roofs for another block and then climbed down.

"Deb'rah! What are you doing?!" he cried.

"Kemiri?! What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you I didn't want to see you again!"

"Why were you with those oomans?"

"Stop spying on me, you fucking stalker!" she spat.

He stared at her. Her hair was pulled into a severe braid, though wisps were curling free now. She was wearing tight clothes, comfortable shoes. There were leather gloves on her hands and kneepads on her legs. A knife was on her belt. He could smell exertion, excitement, anger and blood on her.

"What are you doing with them?"

"I'm having a life, you asshole! One that doesn't include you! I don't need you!"

"I do not think those oomans are what they say. They are strange, hiding something. Stay away before it is too late. Please, Deb'rah. I want you to be safe. I can protect you from them if you need me to."

"I'm sick of everyone thinking I need to be protected! I can take care of myself. Go home, Kemiri." With that, she turned and walked away.

…..

Despite what she said, Kemiri followed her again, once again sitting on the opposite roof, watching. He felt bad spying on her, but he couldn't help it. He had to see her.

"Kemiri?" Elizabeth asked, leaping nimbly up onto the roof. "Are you all right?"

He uncloaked and shook his head. "How can you always find me?"

"Same way you find her. I know your patterns. If you aren't at home, then you are usually here."

"Mm. We had another fight."

"I can tell. Her mind is spinning with angry and hurt thoughts."

"You are reading minds again."

"I can't help it. I always hear the thoughts of others."

"Why is she so angry with me? I have done nothing to her."

"Some people just can't deal with anything out of the ordinary. I would just let her go; she's into something else. She's lost to you."

"It is hard. I wanted her to be my life mate." Kemiri moaned miserably. The vampire laid her hand on his arm comfortingly. He did not throw it off, just settled lower, hunching with a deep sigh.

"It's always hard. Trust me. Just forget about her. You'll be happier for it in the end." she said softly.

Elizabeth stood up and moved in front of Kemiri, kneeling. She was ridiculously small compared to him, like a child, but possessed with an iron strength. Her hands found the fasteners on his mask, undid them. He blinked as she pulled it away and set it on the roof beside them.

"She does not understand what is different." Elizabeth whispered. She laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Many things happened in the next few moments. Kemiri found himself on his back, the blood drinker lying on top of him. Her hands ran across his chest, through his dreadlocks, over his thighs. Her hands were cool, but not cold. His own hands roamed, under her shirt, cupping a small, tight breast, squeezing gently, touching her buttocks through her skirt. She was kissing him everywhere, her small, pink tongue leaving cool trails across his skin. His mandibles tickled on her neck, her shoulder, her face. She kissed him deeply, tongue probing. Kemiri had never been kissed quite like that before, even when he was in Edan's body. Heat seared across his skin. He wondered with some odd part of his mind if it was weird or uncomfortable for her. His mouth was a rather significantly different shape. He shivered in delight. Her hand slipped lower, undid his belt, touched him. With that touch, he woke up out of the daze of lust. He pushed Elizabeth away.

"No…"

"Please…" she pleaded.

"No. Can't. Is wrong."

She tried to push him back down. Part of him just wanted to give up and succumb. It had been so long.

"No!" Kemiri threw her off. He got up, hand clutching at his loincloth, doing it back up. "I cannot do this! No, just… No." He snatched up his mask, declining to put it on and backed away. The vampire's delicate face contorted into a mask of rage, fangs looking very large and sharp.

"How dare you turn away from me! Fine. I see why she left you. Be gone before I decide to destroy you, alien beast."

Kemiri fled.

Only after he was gone, did Elizabeth allow her fierce expression to drop. Tears welled up in her eyes. She curled up into a ball, weeping blood tears alone on the chill rooftop.


	8. Chapter 8

_Whee! Updates! And someone else reviewed! Yay! Thanks to __**Lovydovy**__ for reviewing. Ummm… Two more days until my tattoo. Ouchy. And three more days until I start my new job. . So, read and review!_

Chapter 8

Kemiri spent the next three days in terror. He was afraid Elizabeth would come bursting in to tear him apart. He didn't leave the house, but on the morning of the fourth day, he thought that if she was going to kill him, she would have tried already. Vampires seemed to get things done quickly or not at all. He relaxed, though he still did not go outside. The warrior left off most of his weapons and allowed himself to unwind from the fearful three days. He felt very bad about what he had done to the vampire. She had, at the very least, lusted for his body, though it was probably more likely that she was in love with him. He had hurt her terribly, done what Deborah had done to him. Oh gods, why did everything have to be so complicated? Yautja life had not seemed so complex. Kemiri settled down in front of the television with a drink. He had only been there a few minutes when there was a pounding at the back door. He clenched his fist, shooting out his ki'cti-pa. Could it be Elizabeth? Kemiri crept into the kitchen, tense. The door swung open. He must have forgotten to lock it. Stupid! The figure framed in the doorway was familiar, but it wasn't Elizabeth.

"Deb'rah?"

"Kemiri!" she wailed, staggering in. She looked terrible; only wearing a zip hoodie, yoga pants and shoes, obviously put on in a rush, her body streaked with mud and blood and other things, her hair tangled and matted with leaves. She ran forward into his arms, crying uncontrollably, her breath coming in great, gulping sobs.

"What is the matter?" he asked, holding her tightly.

She didn't answer. They stood for a few minutes, the only sound being Deborah's weeping and the deep, barely audible purr Kemiri produced, trying to comfort her. He rocked her back and forth, like you would a fussy infant or a child with nightmares. Eventually, she mostly stopped.

…..

Kemiri guided her into the living room. She sat down on the couch, holding herself. He pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and gave it to her. Deborah immediately wrapped herself in it, though she looked like she might have a fever. She was quite warm. Next, Kemiri brought her a drink. It was straight scotch. She took the glass and drained it without bothering to ask what was in it. He filled it again, but she didn't empty it again, instead holding it in both hands, staring into the amber fluid. The Yautja sat down beside her.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked. He badly wanted to know why she had chosen to come here of all places, when she had made it so clear she never wanted to see him again.

"T-that rat bastard… Oh, Christ, I fucking _hate_ him… W-why… Why did h-he do this to me?" Deborah cried.

He tilted his head to the side. "Can you tell me?"

She took a sip, made a face and nodded. "I'll… I'll try."

…..

Taking a deep breath, Deborah began, "Yesterday, Ulf called me and asked if I was free. I was, so he asked if I wanted to go out with the Guardian Angels for a special evening. I did, because I liked them. They were my friends, lots of fun. We'd sometimes go see movies and stuff. So, Ulf showed up that evening. I figured we would have been just meeting in some city park like usual, but he had his car with him. So instead we drove out of the city, eventually stopping in a provincial park. He unloaded a bunch of stuff from the trunk of his car. I had no idea what it was; it was all wrapped up or in tubs, but I helped to carry it. The other Angels were there in a clearing some distance into the forest. It was a beautiful evening; we built a fire and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and just had fun. Joked and shit.

"When it was fully dark, they let the fire almost go out. Leif, one of Ulf's Betas, his second-in-command, brought out a bunch of torches from a bundle and stuck them all around the clearing, lighting them. Inge, his other Beta, brought out this big, fairly shallow wooden bowl. It was old and heavily carved, though I couldn't tell what was on it, it was too dark. She mixed up this weird smelling stuff and set the bowl on a tree stump. All the Guardian Angels were standing around the clearing outside the ring of torches; I could mostly just see their faces, pale like the moon, and their eyes, glittering in the firelight. It was freaky. They didn't look like the people I had been joking with a half hour ago. Leif and Inge stood on either side of the stump. Ulf was standing in front. He brought out a little container of ointment and then asked me to take off my sweater. I was wearing a tank top underneath, so I was fine with that. It wasn't too cold out. He put a finger in the ointment and drew a line down my nose with it and some sort of symbol on my forehead. He put a spot on each eyelid and on my ears. A symbol went on the palm of each hand and more on my chest. It was really bizarre and I thought it might be just some sort of hazing ritual or something, like when a fraternity makes new members do all sorts of weird, creepy and stupid shit before they let them join. The ointment was cool, but hot at the same time, like Vick's Vaporub or mint oil. It smelled funny, burning my nose. Then Inge picked up the bowl and passed it around the circle of Angels. They all took a sip. Finally, it came to me. When I took it, I could see the full moon floating in it. The fluid looked like liquid silver. Ulf told me to drink the rest of what was in the bowl.

"He said, 'Drink of the Moon.'

"I did. It was so cold. I tasted herbs in there too. They made my head feel sort of swimmy, like when you have a drink on an empty stomach, not a bad feeling. Just weird. Then they started chanting.

"He said, 'You have drunk of the Moon.

Your flesh is now the pack's flesh and it is now yours.

Your bone is now the pack's bone and it is now yours.

Your blood is now the pack's blood and it is now yours.

Its strength is now your strength.

Its power is now your power.

Its knowledge is now your knowledge.

May your feet run endlessly.

May your eyes see through every darkness.

May your teeth tear forevermore.

May your ears hear every whispered secret.

May your nose forever seek the truth.

Child of the Moon, awaken.'

"And then… They changed."

At this, Deborah took another drink, her hand shaking.

"The Guardian Angels started chasing me through the forest. It was pitch black. I couldn't see anything but glimpses of things. Horrible things; claws, teeth, eyes, fur. They were jostling me on every side, fur rough on my skin. They bit me and clawed me. My arms, legs, body. I was bleeding from dozens of places. I felt like the people we would run down when we caught them doing something illegal. And then Ulf bit me. I changed too." Deborah started crying hard again. Kemiri checked her for wounds, his touch gentle on her arms and back, but found none. Just the stains of dried blood.

"I think you are fine. You are not hurt. You should get some sleep. It will be better after. They will not bother you again. I will make sure of it." he promised.

"Kemiri! You don't understand! I'm a fucking _werewolf_!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Sooo… I started a new job, which I like. Three of my classmates are working there, which is great. I like working with people I know again, especially awesome ones like them. My tattoo looks spiffy too. All the scabs are off now and it isn't too itchy anymore. I've started a new story too, Space Pirates. It's rated mature, but if you fir the bill, check it out! So very, very violent and wrong it promises to be. An old character will be making an appearance. So, not too much in the way of action here, but it will come. Thanks to __**Bastet1023**__ for reviewing!_

_Ki'cte- Enough._

_Ki'cti-pa- Wristblades._

Chapter 9

"Werewolf?" Kemiri asked, his head cocked to the side. "What is that?"

"I'm a monster!" Deborah screamed.

He flinched.

Her chest heaved as she fought to regain control, and lost. "I…I'll never lead a normal life! N-Never! I can't be around normal p-people ever again!" she sobbed, "What if I hurt someone? What if I get killed or, or captured because of this CURSE!"

Kemiri reached over to the sobbing woman and pulled her into his arms. She didn't resist. He purred again, rocking gently, keeping her close.

Eventually, she fell asleep. Kemiri heaved a small sigh of relief and slowly lay down on the couch, easing downwards until he was comfortable. Using his free arm, Kemiri pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and over them. He wasn't very tired; he had just slept a few hours earlier. So, he thought about what Deborah had told him. Obviously, she had been through something very traumatic, but he wasn't sure if he believed her or not. He had seen some very strange stuff since his little adventure with Edan. But he had not seen any evidence that these Guardian Angels were anything more than oomans that behaved like a pack. From her story, he gathered that they shape-shifted. None had shape-shifted while he had been watching. It was a power that belonged to Cetanu or Lil-ka or one of the other gods or demons, not to mortals. How could anyone alter their own bodies like that? True, the vampires could heal incredibly fast, but that was something the body did on its own. It was simply returning to its previous state. Like virtually all Yautja, Kemiri believed in a soul. There were plenty of tales about souls traveling to the Otherworld and he himself had experienced his soul leaving his body. He could believe and understand that. But something that turned into a beast at the full moon? Too bizarre. He would have to look this up on the Internet.

…..

Though he did not really want to admit it, Deborah's return bothered him a little. She had called him a monster, a freak and now that she thought she was one, she returned? Yes, he was having trouble getting over her, but he had started. Mind you, it had been a bit of a disaster, but he was trying! And then she came back. It was complicated. Now he knew why so many warriors waited until they were much older before starting any serious kind of relationship.

He moved his head slightly, breathing in Deborah's scent. It was the same as always; a little like the green smell of plants, mingled with her shampoo, slightly overlaid with food smells from her job, but not unpleasantly. Today the green smell was stronger, from the forest and from the leaves and twigs still in her hair. He made a face and picked them out and dropped them on the floor. He could smell the powerful ointment on her too, and earth and blood. Nothing really different… Wait. He pushed his face closer to her hair, inhaling short breaths to concentrate the scent particles. There _was_ something different. A very slight musk overlaid her smell, wild and new. Kemiri clicked his mandibles softly; could her story be true?

…..

Eventually, Kemiri slept, plagued by worried thoughts though he was. When he awoke, it was because his arm was numb and he was stiff from being in one position so long.

He carefully eased his arm out from underneath the sleeping woman and sat up, still moving gingerly. Once he was off the couch, he tucked the blanket back around her and stepped lightly up the stairs, flexing his arm as he went. He had trouble; it felt like a block of wood and he poked at it just because it was so numb and it felt weird, but stopped when it started to burn with a thousand needles. Grumbling, he went to the bathroom and switched on the shower.

While Kemiri waited for it to heat up, he stripped, even removing the rings on his dreadlocks, setting them in a pile on the counter. He pulled aside the curtain and stepped into the hot stream, moaning as it chased away the aches of sleeping wrong. It was a little too small for him; he wasn't really tall for a Yautja, but still had to duck to get his head under the water.

Once clean and feeling much more refreshed, he shut off the water. He heard movement from downstairs. Narrowing his eyes, he wrapped a towel around his waist and slipped his ki'cti-pa back on, feeling better once the heavy metal was clamped firmly around his forearm. He peered down the stairs.

Was Elizabeth inside? Had she finally decided to come and exact her revenge now that both Kemiri and Deborah were in the same place? Or was it just Deborah? He walked down the stairs, carefully avoiding the one that always creaked, slid along the wall, his right arm up, ready to clench and shoot the deadly blades, his left gripping his towel. He jumped around the corner, into the living room!

No one was there. The blanket lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"What are you doing?" someone asked.

He whirled. There was Deborah, holding a cup of tea in one hand and an apple in the other.

"Oh. I heard a noise."

She looked down at the towel, then up to his dripping wet form. There was an awkward moment.

"Shower is free?" he offered, pulling his mandibles into a grin.

"Um. Thanks." She walked past him, avoiding the trail of puddles he had left.

Hearing the water turn on, Kemiri felt stupid. It was still daylight. Of course Elizabeth would not be there. She would not be able to get up for several hours yet. Returning upstairs, he dried off and dressed comfortably in baggy drawstring pants, one of the few things Edan had that would fit him. The blood drinker must have virtually swum in them. He realized that Deborah would need clean clothes and headed down to the basement where he had thrown the bags of clothes that had been Edan's. He found a sweatshirt and t-shirt that looked like they would fit her, but no pants. She'd have to wear the ones she had, though they had a few mud stains on them. He left them outside the bathroom door.

While he waited for her, he turned on the computer and began to search for data on werewolves. He was swamped with hits. Okay. Werewolves were another ooman thing that was well-known. They were at least as popular as vampires. He remembered reading something about them before, when he was looking up possible other supernatural creatures D'jin-ta might be interested in. He was so absorbed in his reading; he didn't hear Deborah come down the stairs.

"Find something interesting?" she asked as he jumped.

"How you sneak up on me like that?" he growled. He didn't like being snuck up on.

She shrugged and stepped around the desk and peered at the screen.

Kemiri tensed, but luckily, she couldn't see anything on the infrared screen.

"What's that?"

"A screen I can see, so I can use the Internet"

"Oh. What are you looking up?"

Kemiri hesitated, staring into her blue eyes. She didn't flinch.

"Werewolves." he said.

"You don't believe me. I told you! I'm a monster!"

"So you came to the monster."

"What?"

"You wanted nothing with me before. Now you say you are not normal, so you came back? Why? Ki'cte! No talk! Me first!" Kemiri took a deep breath and steeled himself to keep going on. "You say you have problems, but you said I was a problem too! You are scared now, so you came back because I am strong, look fierce, a warrior. What about when you not scared? Leave again? I not ooman, never will be, but have feelings too!"

Deborah looked like she was about to cry again. "I know you aren't human. And… And I know I didn't treat you fairly before. Your face… It's not pretty. I tried to tell myself that you were the same as before, just in a different package, but it didn't work. I can't go out in public with you! You can't meet my family! And that really bothered me! Ulf was nice, he looked normal, and I thought I'd be okay with him. But he's not. He's the biggest monster yet! He used me and played with my emotions because he wanted me to join his pack! You haven't. Yes, I came back because you aren't human. I thought you would understand. And I'm scared. They want me back. You can help keep me safe. I know that's not a nice thing to say. Because I came back for that, I'm using you too and I don't like it! I'm… I'm sorry I was such a bitch before, Kemiri. I was overwhelmed. You're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met." She put her hand on his.

He sat still, mind whirling.

"Okay." he said, not really sure what to say. "I sorry I watched you?" he ventured. She smiled weakly, which he returned. Was it all going to be better?


	10. Chapter 10

_So, I've been working a disgusting amount and have finally been able to enjoy some time off. Last week I worked over twenty-six hours in two days. Gah… We were so loopy. I have also been getting my Halloween costume together. I got my lightsaber today. It's gorgeous and I squealed like a little girl when I first switched it on. It's bloody amazing. I chose Darth Vader's, because I'm going as a Dark Jedi this year. I'm such a dork. Anyways, please read and review!_

_Lil'ka- The goddess of life, the mother._

_Awu'asa- Suit of armor._

_Dah'nagara- Short sword._

_Sivk'va-tai- Plasma caster._

_Chakt-ra- Smart disc._

_Paya- Term of respect._

_Yeyinde- Conquering Warrior._

_Ell-osde'pauk- Fuck you._

_S'yuit-de- Shit._

_Bhu'ja- Ghost._

_Kv'var-de- Hunter._

Chapter 10

Inge and Leif watched nervously as Ulf paced. He was furious and when he got furious, sometimes people got hurt. He was partially changed in his anger; his hair long, shaggy and mane-like, his face distorted by the beginnings of a muzzle, filled with pointy teeth, his eyes gold and hard, his nails claws. The shadow of a pelt showed on his skin.

He snarled and muttered to himself, "She got away! Left us! Hrrrr… No one leaves the pack! How dare she reject us…"

This had been going on for some time. While they would have rather left him alone to vent, he had not told them to go and they did not disobey the Alpha.

As Ulf turned to stomp back along the floor, a runner burst in.

She panted, took one look at the Alpha and the Betas and prostrated herself on the ground.

"Alpha, we have found her!"

"What?!" he said loudly, stepping towards her. As he moved, the change faded from him smoothly, with no sign of pain. As always, they were impressed. Only pure-bred werewolves had to power to change so easily and fluidly and even fewer when they were so angry. Another reason why Ulf was Alpha male.

"We found her at the old house of the City Master! She is hiding there!"

"I want that house watched constantly. I want to know why she is there and who she turned to. I want to know when she leaves. I want her back! Go!"

"Yes, Alpha." the runner said, ducking out of the room backwards.

"What should we do now?" asked Leif. "Should we send a team in to take care of whoever she is staying with?"

"No." replied Ulf.

"But… She could lose control. She has never changed of her own will yet, or even felt the pull of the moon."

"I will use that to my advantage. If we have her watched constantly, when she does lose it, someone will be there for her to go to. She will be frightened, perhaps grieving for someone she has accidentally slain and will come back to us so that we will protect her and teach her control. My grandfather used that tactic several times."

"Alpha," Inge said, "that was in the wilds of Norway! Humans were few and far between. There was much superstition in the small villages; werewolves were known. We were left alone there. What if she loses control in a public place? That could easily be the death of this entire pack. The pack is the minority here."

"True, that could happen. But that is why we will have pack members watching her all the time. If she starts to change somewhere public, they can guide her somewhere dark and secluded. I do not think there is much chance of that happening though. She has a strong personality, one of the reasons I chose her. She will be able to dominate her wild side and keep in control, especially once she is trained." Ulf said silkily.

"What if her strong personality keeps her from coming back to us?"

"You know the answer. I do not tolerate lone wolves." He smiled broadly, showing teeth that grew pointy. "Deborah will be ours."

…..

Kemiri buckled on his awu'asa, putting the entire thing on. This was the first time he had done so in weeks. He felt a mixture of dread and excitement. He had been sent a message; they had come and brought his new equipment. Would the Yautja responsible treat him well because of his important mission, or would they be angry because he was technically a Bad Blood? He did not know. Leaving Deborah asleep on the couch, he activated his cloaking device against prying eyes and thermal regulator against the growing chill of night and left. He did not worry that she would awaken with him gone; she had been spending a lot of time sleeping lately, her own way of dealing with the changes that had come in her life. She had been doing better than a couple of days ago, however. She spent less of her waking hours weeping, her fear and anguish changing into stubbornness and anger.

…..

Small puffs of vapour exuded from Kemiri's mask. The cloaking device was not the most effective in cold environments, especially with his equipment. Other Yautja, who hunted often and could afford the work needed sometimes had heat exchangers built in the mask that would warm the air coming in and cool the air coming out, hiding them much more effectively in cold climes.

Kemiri had not planned on being somewhere that got cold, though. The hunts he had been on were always in the hot summer. He felt the chill of winter even through his thermal netting, especially on his hands and feet. He only wore sandals and thin, fingerless gloves.

With a grunt, the warrior hauled himself over the edge of the roof and dropped, landing fairly quietly, though the impact jarred his cold feet. He sprang forwards, away from the tall buildings of the city and into the open yards, broad streets and low houses of the suburbs.

He felt exposed here, though it was sufficiently late that he should be safe from oomans. His breath burned in his lungs a few minutes later. Yautja were not good marathon runners. They were good at sprinting, excellent over rough terrain, but their own adaptions to the heights rendered them poor runners. Especially Kemiri. He was not in as good a shape as he should be.

…..

By the time Kemiri finally left the city, he was wheezing, sweaty and a little unsteady. He slowed before reaching the meeting zone. He did not want to appear too out of breath and tired! He still had his pride. As he began breathing normally, he began shivering, chilled by the breeze on his damp body. So it was cold and sweaty that he greeted the four new warriors.

They stood beside two small shuttles, of the type used for traveling planet side from larger ships, or for moving to different hunting zones on a planet. His heart pounded, but he tried to move slowly and smoothly, confident and nonchalant.

One warrior stepped forward. The leader.

Kemiri walked over and tried to apply the traditional greeting between warriors; a gently shaken shoulder.

The other Yautja flinched away, one hand coming up as if to strike, though the blow did not land.

"Do not touch me, Bad Blood! It is bad enough that we have been sent here without you soiling our honour with your touch." he snarled.

Kemiri backed away. "I meant no insult."

"Ell-osde'pauk! Get your things and go! You will find them in the second shuttle, though Lil-ka knows why Paya D'jin-ta has bothered." As an afterthought, the warrior said, "The shuttle is yours too. The life support systems will not sustain you in space for more than a few hours. There are also no sleep pods. D'jin-ta just put you in a larger prison."

Kemiri grit his teeth and walked past the warriors, into the shuttle. On his way past the last warrior, he tripped and nearly had his head smashed into the side of the small ship. Catching himself, he turned and glared into the blank mask of the warrior, who trilled with nasty laughter.

"Watch where you are going, Bad Blood."

Inside the shuttle it was slightly warmer. He sighed and walked past the pilot's seat and the two long, padded benches that were set against the walls behind the pilot's seat. Set into the walls at the back were weapons racks and crates. They were not empty. On the racks was more plate armor, to supplement his own fairly light armor. There were a few new weapons too. He saw a pair of dah'nagara, short swords usually used in pairs. There was also a larger sivk'va-tai and a chakt-ra. The smart disc was much higher in quality than the one he owned, sleek and new.

Opening up one of the trunks, Kemiri saw a pair of shin-high, armoured boots that looked deliciously warm. Beside them was a new pair of sandals, as well as a light pair of boots for warmer weather. In the other trunks he found more cold weather gear, including a beautiful new netting suit. The wires were spaced much closer together and were of higher quality. Now he would be able to withstand even the coldest of Earth's weather. Besides the gear, there was also plenty of supplies with which to repair his new gear and old alike.

Kemiri was pleasantly surprised. He didn't think that D'jin-ta cared enough about the job he gave Kemiri to give him anything good. But this gear was incredible! It must have cost the Elder a huge amount.

With his pleasure came mingled sorrow. With such good gear, Paya D'jin-ta obviously didn't expect Kemiri back on the Homeworld for a very long time. Kemiri carefully folded the gear back into the crates. While he would have loved to put on the warmer gear, he did not want to appear weak or desperate in front of the other warriors.

They were still waiting outside, having barely moved. Kemiri held his head high, keeping a dominant posture in front of them.

"So everything is to your satisfaction, oh mighty Yeyinde?" sneered the leader, his rough voice dripping with sarcasm.

"There is no need for such talk." Kemiri replied. "Paya D'jin-ta gave me this mission himself."

"D'jin-ta simply did not want to kill you. He is weaker for it. You are still a Bad Blood, even if you have been given a 'mission' to keep you occupied until you die."

Kemiri almost shrank back again, but mentally kicked himself. It wasn't his fault the other warrior was so miserable being here!

"Like it or not, I am doing an important job here. I am gathering knowledge so that _you_ may find more interesting prey to hunt!"

He saw stars as the bigger warrior backhanded him, sending him flying. Lifting himself up on his hands, he stared in horror as the other Yautja closed in around him, drawing weapons.

"He attacked us, didn't he?" one said.

The others nodded agreement.

"Tried to steal our ship and get to the main ship. Just what you would expect from s'yuit-de like him."

The leader hissed, "We were forbidden from killing you, Bad Blood. But only if you did nothing. We are allowed to protect ourselves. You tarnish the honour of our entire species just by living. I think that it is time to polish our honour."

"What?! No!"

"Oh yes. Prepare to meet the Destroyer, Bad Blood."

Kemiri was at their mercy, lying prostrate on the ground, not a single weapon drawn, his plasma caster lying still on his shoulder. So he did something they would never expect.

The Yautja were taken by surprise when their leader suddenly grunted, staggering backwards as if shot. He went down like a stone for a moment before rising again to attack. But not the collapsed Bad Blood. He stayed as still as the dead.

One yelped in surprise as their leader swung his sword, missing his neck by a hair's breadth, instead lopping off most of the dreadlocks on that side. Then, the attacking leader collapsed again.

Kemiri rose, glaring at the terrified warriors.

"What… What did you do?!"

"Something I learned here. Leave me alone."

"Get him!"

Kemiri sighed and left his body again. It was becoming easier with time. He found he was able to keep track of himself better now. He could fight the upward pull better.

He spun himself into a tight ball and barrelled for another hunter!

His soul was knocked out easily, though this time, he didn't take over his body. It felt strange and dirty to steal the shells of others, even for a moment.

Kemiri returned to his body, feeling that moment where he was entirely aware of gravity, of every molecule of air, of the passage of food through his body and hating it. It passed quickly.

He stood yet again with a growl. He would be feeling the bruises from this later.

The Yautja stared in horror.

"Bhu'ja Kv'var-de…" murmured one.

Kemiri did not leave them time to re-group and slaughter him this time! He bolted for his shuttle, shutting and locking the door, switching on the controls as quickly as possible. He took off, leaving them on the ground. Kemiri did not stay near them, or bother to gain too much height. This shuttle had no shields and would go down easily with only a single shot from a plasma caster. It hummed as he accelerated away.

Now, all he had to do was find a safe spot to store the ship. Outside of the city was a problem. It took far too long to get to. Perhaps in the river? It moved swiftly enough that he shouldn't have a problem with it freezing in the winter.

Kemiri shuddered. It would be so cold when he had to get things or use the ship… Oh well. He decided to consider it a test of his new gear. He scanned the river, searching for the deepest point, then angled it downwards and dove. He yelped as he was jolted from the impact with the water. Kemiri then let it sink and engaged the claw, anchoring it firmly to the silty river bottom. Now he changed out his light gear, putting on the nice new netting suit. He also stripped himself of non-waterproof electronics, locking them in a small sealed trunk, along with the boots, a thick, hooded cloak, gloves and a few weapons. The rest he stowed on the racks. Then Kemiri shut himself in the airlock, and flooded it.

…..

The water hit him like an avalanche, chilling Kemiri to his core. His mask's scuba mode activated. Lugging the trunk behind him, he walked through the squishy mud, fighting the slow but powerful current. With the trunk, he could not swim, instead trudging to shore, surrounded by dirty water and drifting garbage.

Perhaps the St. Lawrence was not such a good place to keep his ship, for Kemiri would most definitely need a shower after this…

Once his head breached the surface, he scanned for any ooman out on a late-night stroll.

Deciding he was safe, Kemiri slogged his way out and immediately began to shiver all over again. He crouched and fumbled at the lock with fingers that shook. He activated the thermal regulator and flung the cloak around himself, noting that it also had a fine pattern of wires in it. He would be able to attach it to his cloaking device. Most useful.

Once he was slightly warmer and a lot dryer, Kemiri tugged on the new boots and gloves, picked up his trunk and began trudging back home.

…..

He tiptoed in, hearing Deborah's even, slow breaths.

She was still asleep. Stowing his new gear in the basement, Kemiri headed for the bathroom to wash off the accumulated grime of the river.

His head was filled with troubling thoughts.

Were the warriors he had thought going to convince another Elder to send a team of Arbitrators to destroy him? Why had D'jin-ta spent so much getting him outfitted? Did he want him to succeed or was he just expecting Kemiri to live the rest of his life out Earth?

Adding this to his other worries, Kemiri sighed. His life was so complicated now.


	11. Chapter 11

_So I'm super-excited for the spring. It will be nice to actually have good movies to go to. Transformers looks fantastic, as does Wolverine and Watchmen. Oh Watchmen… How I love thee… So, no more rambling. Please read and review!_

_Many thanks to __**Predator808 **__for reviewing!_

Chapter 11

Charlotte shifted her weight and leaned against the graffitied plexiglass wall of the bus shelter. Stake-out work had to be the most boring job ever.

She turned her head to watch a young man come up.

He was fairly tall and still had not finished filling out from his youth, still gangly, with knotted muscles. His hair was in a trendy cut, streaked with blond highlights. His face was fairly average, except for his eyes, which were a brilliant green.

"Aren't you supposed to be in your own spot?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but one of the neighbours looked like they were gonna call the cops. They must have thought I was casing the place out." He stretched, cracking his spine. "We get a good enough view here and it looks less suspicious."

Charlotte shrugged and pulled off the baseball cap that covered her hair. It tumbled down in a shining brown wave.

"Put your hat back on! She might see you!"

"I don't care. It itches to have it all piled up like that." She gave her scalp a luxurious scratch, but twisted her hair back up again when she was done. "I don't know about you, Simon, but if I have to do this again, I'll lose it."

"Nah. Alpha is going to rotate us so we don't do this too often."

"Good. Did you see anything from the other side?"

"I saw Deborah wandering around a bit, plus whoever she's staying with."

"What did they look like?"

"Tall, a guy, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long hair, kind of hot."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Anything useful? There must be dozens of tall, broad shouldered guys in this city."

"I couldn't see anything but silhouettes. The shades were down."

"Nuts."

She sat down on the bus stop bench. Simon imitated her. They stayed that way for another half hour, waving a bus past that tried to stop for them.

"Hey hey! Look at that!" Simon whispered excitedly, pointing.

Over the top of the fence, they could see the back door open.

They tried to act as nonchalant as possible, scooting to the ends on the bench and acting as normal bus patrons did when confronted with another rider; they pretended the other did not exist.

Deborah opened the back gate, turning and waving good-bye to someone.

As the ever-present autumn wind gusted suddenly over them, Simon's nostrils flared. He sniffed the air, his head jerking up.

"Act fully human, you dolt!" Charlotte hissed.

He tried, though he continued to inhale deeply.

Once Deborah walked far enough away, he said, "I know that smell!"

"What, that musky odour? It just smelled like garbage and someone's cat."

"No. You didn't analyze it. It wasn't from an animal. I've smelled it before, when we were hunting. I don't know where it came from; I couldn't place it because the wind was gusting too much. It's not human either. Whatever it is, it's dominant, male and I've never smelled anything like it before."

"Should we tell Alpha?"

"Yes. You alert the pack that Deborah is on the move and I will tell him."

They pulled out their cell phones, fingers flying as they texted.

…..

Deborah hunched her face against the crisp fall wind. It was hard to believe only a couple of weeks earlier it had still been hot. The jacket she was wearing was too big for her and smelled of foreign cologne. No. It wasn't strange. It was Edan's.

She noticed her sense of smell had grown and the slightest hint of scent could bring powerful memories.

What was she going to do now? She had a job and an apartment that needed paying. Could she live a normal life, with this curse that had been unleashed upon her? She was normal now. Maybe she would only change on the full moon and would stay basically normal the rest of the month.

Deborah had never been one for moping and was sick of hiding inside, her eyes sore from crying. She was restless, having no desire to sleep anymore. She would live a normal life. She would deal with this. Maybe she could find a way to cure herself.

Bundled in her jacket, she didn't notice the person who followed her at a safe distance, occasionally switching to another who followed equally doggedly.

…..

Over the next couple weeks, Deborah's life fell into a sort of pattern which bordered on normalcy. She went to work, actually visited a couple friends and spent a great deal of time with Kemiri. Something was bothering him, but he wouldn't say what.

Deborah decided to leave it alone until he wanted to tell her, since when she had asked before, he had become very quiet.

There seemed to be little sign of the curse, at least until the end of the month.

She began noticing little things; the popping of joints, desire for rare meat, her eyes changing shape slightly. She was able to dismiss those as normal, or her imagination.

Finally, after one stressful shift at work, she could ignore it no longer.

…..

"Deborah!" yelled Cassandra, her boss, "Get those orders to the customers, now!"

She grit her teeth, hurriedly scribbling down the meal order for another table. She finished and swept away to where the plates waited under heat lights.

"Excuse me, but my sandwich has a hair in it." said a customer, leaning out into her path.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll replace it and go talk to the chef."

"No. I want something different this time."

Picking up the offending plate, she took their new order and continued to the kitchen.

"Hey, Chef, the guy at table five says there was a hair in his food."

The chef looked up from the meal he was preparing, raising his brows. Under his do-rag he was completely bald.

"Please?" she asked, putting on a mock pleading expression.

He sighed and muttered darkly in French.

Deborah grinned and took the ready plates.

It remained terribly busy, the lunch rush extending longer than usual, despite the tourism season slowing. The last straw came at about one thirty.

"Can I get extra lemon slices in my water?" an older woman asked, not meeting Deborah's eyes.

"Oh, I don't know. Lemons don't grow on trees, you know." She smiled at the bad joke.

The woman did not.

"Fine. Don't put lemon in it." she sneered.

Deborah barely kept her jaw from dropping. She took a deep breath, easing the small sun of rage growing in her chest.

A few minutes later, the young woman returned with their drinks.

They remained, if not pleasant, at least neutral until the end of the meal. Deborah tried to be friendly with them.

"I want to talk to your manager about your bad attitude."

"I'll send Cassandra over as soon as she is free. She's just helping the kitchen get caught up."

"I don't have time to wait!"

The woman's husband gave Deborah an apologetic glance. "We are in a rush."

"I'll be right back." She clenched her hands as she stalked away, her fingers cracking.

Leaning into the kitchen, she called her boss over. "I've got a problem. Pissy customer." She jerked her head towards them.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "I'll set them straight. You just look after the other tables."

"No problem."

As Deborah turned to go back out, she nearly yelped as something stabbed the palms of her hands. She opened her clenched fists gingerly and stared. Her fingers, instead of ending in neatly filed pink nails, tapered into long claws, dark amber in color and gently curved. The tips were stained with her own blood.

Fear gripped her heart, but Deborah managed to calm herself down enough to keep from screaming.

Something prickled down her spine. Oh god. Not fur!

She ducked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

The face that stared at her in the mirror was subtly altered; her eyes were not quite the correct shape, and they appeared a colder blue than normal, more like chips of ice. Opening her mouth, she saw her teeth were rather pointier than they should be.

The fear rose again, sending more hair prickling along her body. Her knees popped loudly. If she didn't control herself now, she was going to end up changing right here in the bathroom!

Deborah gulped and panted; she couldn't let anyone see her like this! Slowly, she calmed herself down, easing her frantic breathing. Like magic, Deborah watched the contours of her face smooth, her teeth become blunt and her nails return.

Someone banged on the bathroom door.

"Deborah? What's the matter? We've got customers waiting."

It was Cassandra.

"I… I'm sorry… I just… I thought I was going to be sick there for a minute. I'll be out in a minute."

"Well, okay. Hurry, please."

She finished collecting herself, took one last look in the mirror and strode out.

…..

"Is there something you need to talk about, Deborah?" Cassandra asked as they cleaned off the tables and put up the chairs. On Sundays they closed early.

"What? Me? No."

"Well, then why were you in the bathroom for so long? Chef said you looked like you had seen a ghost. Anything? No? Well, just remember that I am always here if you need to talk."

"Uh huh." Deborah murmured. She felt a powerful urge to talk to the older woman. It would make everything better… But she could not. This was her secret.

Cassandra straightened up, tossing back her long, greying brown hair. She stretched her back and ran a finger under the wide velvet choker she wore around her neck, wincing a little.

"Why don't you go home early? There isn't much to do and I'll be fine."

"Um, well…" It would be nice… "If you don't mind…"

"Would I have suggested it if it bothered me? Go."

"Thanks, Cassandra." Putting the cloth in the sink, she collected her bag and jacket and left.


	12. Chapter 12

_So I saw Watchmen. Twice. Friggin' awesome movie. I want Rorschach's babies… I noticed a real difference between the audiences of the two showings I went to. The first was on opening night. It was fun because everyone snickered at the little inside jokes and was amazed at how closely it followed the comic. The second time, everyone was much more serious, no snickering, not even whenever Rorschach appeared as the homeless guy. Also, two people were using their phones CONSTANTLY. It drove me up the wall. At least have the decency to turn off your phone during a movie! I wanted to throw my M&Ms at them._

_Many thanks to __**ArmoredSoul**__ and __**Blackrain7557**__ for the reviews!_

_Pauk- Fuck._

_Awu'asa- Suit of armor._

Chapter 12

Kemiri's leaf green eyes swept over Deborah's body. She was hot. In the literal sense. Had she'd been normal; she would have been running a severe fever. Her eyes were bright and had a wild look in them. She couldn't hold still, constantly jiggling and fidgeting.

"How much longer?"

"Until moonrise? Another forty-five minutes."

Kemiri grunted, clicking his mandibles absently and then frowning when he realized what he was doing. Her energy was contagious.

"I need to go for a walk." the woman said suddenly, sitting straighter and squaring her shoulders. "I can't stay in this house any longer. I'll lose my mind. I need to run."

"You cannot. You need to stay here tonight."

"Fuck. I know! Everything inside me is screaming to get out and run. I feel like a kid waiting for Santa to come, like someone waiting for the results from their biopsy and like I've just had five cups of espresso. All at once." Deborah got off the couch and began pacing.

Kemiri watched, feeling the same worry. He was dressed in full armor. He had to be in his awu'asa, just in case anything got out of hand.

Another anxious twenty minutes went by.

"Should you go down now? Just in case the change happens early?"

"I'm not spending any more time down there than is absolutely necessary." Deborah's voice was laced with tension. "I'm feeling very claustrophobic right now."

More time passed. It seemed to be both dragging and racing past at the same time, ticking down to the final moment.

"It is time." the Yautja whispered, eyes locking on Deborah.

"I don't feel much... Unh!" She doubled over, clutching her stomach. "It hurts." she grunted. Her joints popped audibly. When she looked up, her face was feral, distorted by the beginnings of a muzzle. "Help me! Need… To get down… Noaaoow!" her speech slurred as her mouth changed shape, filling with fangs.

Kemiri jumped up and wrapped his arms around her form.

Deborah snarled and fought him. Fingernails sharpened and darkened, becoming claws that raked the flesh of his arm.

Kemiri swore, "Pauk!" but struggled on with the shapeshifting, growling, screaming body of Deborah. Teeth reached for his throat! The Yautja yelped, dropping her.

She landed heavily on ill-suited limbs. Fur raced over her skin as Kemiri watched, thick and black. Clothing tore as her chest deepened. Legs stretched and twisted while Deborah howled in agony.

He grabbed her again, managing to keep his grip as she was wracked with a new wave of pain. He staggered the last few steps and threw her through the basement door and down the stairs. He slammed the door, throwing his weight against it and latching it tightly.

The muffled screaming deepened into a throaty bay. A powerful form slammed into the other side of the door, talons raking gouges in the tough old wood.

Kemiri held his breath, hoping the door would hold.

The new werewolf threw herself again and again at the door. It held.

He allowed himself to heave a deep sigh of relief and slid down the door, leaning against it. The Yautja became aware of pain in his arm and the warm, trickling sensation of blood. He had forgotten that he had been clawed.

Deborah howled her frustrations.

…..

Kemiri waited in the living room, eyes gritty with exhaustion. He hadn't slept, instead watching the basement door, just in case Deborah managed to get out.

He perked up slightly as there was a soft _click_ from the door. It echoed like a gunshot in the silent house.

Kemiri shot his ki'cti-pa and stood.

The basement door eased open, revealing an entirely human Deborah. She looked exhausted and her fingers were bruised and crusted with dried blood.

"Kemiri?" she croaked. He hurried forward, catching her as she stumbled. She was naked and grimy from the old basement and had as much strength left in her as a boiled noodle. He picked her up and brought her upstairs, plopping her down on the toilet seat and wrapping a blanket around her while he filled the tub with water.

Once it was full of bubbles and hot water, he helped her in.

The woman groaned as the heat enveloped her abused muscles. "Oh god, that feels better… I hurt _everywhere_. I never knew it would hurt this much…"

She soaked for a short while, Kemiri watching her to make sure she didn't fall asleep and drown. By that time, the blood had soaked off her fingers. Deborah lifted them out of the water. The nails were broken and chipped. Some of her fingers had blood blisters under the nails. Her fingers were scraped raw, cut, bruised and filled with slivers.

"Christ, I must have really been trying to get out…"

Kemiri leaned forward, peering at her hands. "Yes. You were. For a while it sounded like you were going to claw your way out. Hold still please." He took one hand and examined it further and then pulled out a pair of tweezers. He deftly plucked out almost all of the slivers, only leaving those that he could not reach without cutting her skin. They would work themselves out with time.

Once her hands were attended to, Deborah said, "I hardly remember anything about last night. It was a haze. I just remember wanting to get out, _needing_ out. It was weird. And then the change; I've never felt anything so horrible in my life. It felt like I was being taken apart and re-arranged." She shuddered, but in her exhaustion seemed to forget that she was going to do this once a month for the rest of her life.

Once she finished, Kemiri helped her up and into a pair of pyjamas.

Then they both went to bed, taking comfort in each other.

…..

Ulf stretched, sighing as muscles cramped by the change eased. He ran his tongue over teeth that were now small and dull, still tasting the coppery tang of blood. Fingers and toes flexed in the fallen leaves. It had been a good night. He could change any time he wanted, but there was always something special about the full moon. The moon was so beautiful, shining like a beacon to light the way during the hunt.

The sky was now a pearly gray, flushed with pink on the horizon. Dawn was here.

Ulf supposed that he had better find his clothes before some early riser went out for a walk and discovered a large naked man.

He ambled along, feeling goosebumps rise on his hide as he cooled down from the exertions of the night. Since werewolves ran hotter than most, they could withstand cold better. The downside was that they also had to eat a lot more, especially since changing used many calories.

Reaching the tree he had stashed his clothes in, Ulf reached up, dislodging more gold leaves from the half-bare tree as he untied the plastic bag.

He always was reluctant to dress again, swathing himself in the trappings of the human world, distancing himself from nature. His kind had once been able to live entirely in nature, changing whenever and wherever they wanted, never worrying about being discovered. Now the huge forests were fractured and roads traced through even the deepest wilderness like scars on smooth hide. It was depressing to have to secrete themselves like this.

As the Alpha crouched to tie his shoes, he smelled the reek of cheap liquor, the tang of blood, freshly spilled, mixed with laundry detergent and underlaid with the musk of wolf-kind. Dorian.

"Well?" he asked, not bothering to turn his head.

There was silence from the other shapeshifter.

Ulf's brow knotted in irritation. Dorian had been a bit of a failure for him. He had thought the man would make a good wolf, powerful and skilled in transformation since he seemed to have a strong personality. Since there were so few pure-bred werewolves out there, humans who would make good candidates were a necessity. Dorian was not skilled and did not have a strong will. He was incapable of shifting except during the full moon and even then, he could not turn into a full wolf. It was something awkward, uncomfortable on four legs and two. Werewolves like him were the reason for many myths surrounding wolf-kind.

Ulf often wondered why he had not just killed Dorian after he discovered what a disappointment he was. In any case, he would never allow him to breed. But, low-ranking wolves had their uses. Because Dorian looked entirely human, he was good for tasks that other werewolves might find difficult, such as stressful situations.

"Do you or do you not know anything about Deborah?"

"A-alpha… We have a problem…"

Ulf stood and turned abruptly. "Did she change in a public place?"

"No, Alpha…"

"Then what is the problem?"

"We could not find her, Alpha. Maybe she didn't change?"

He snarled ferally. "Are you stupid, Dorian? There was no doubt that she would change! Can't you smell anything? Goddamnit, you were there the night we performed the ritual! You saw her change then!"

"Maybe she is a sleeper? What if it happens later? Alpha." he added nervously.

"She is not a _sleeper_. She either left the city to change without my knowledge or she had someone lock her up and I think she was locked up. We will have her. Now get out of here."

"Yes, Alpha."

Ulf took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Right now it would be perilously easy to change again. He toyed with the notion. The rabbit he had caught that night had not quite satisfied the hunger in his belly and Dorian's submissive behaviour said 'prey'. He could shift in the blink of an eye, much faster than the half-breeds that comprised most of his pack. He wouldn't eat Dorian, just kill him, purify the pack. It would be easy. Just the brief pain of the change, a leap, a snap of his jaws and Dorian would be lying on the forest floor, twitching. No. Not now.

Dorian finished backing away to a safe distance and turned and ran.

Ulf followed more slowly, crunching through the dry, dusty-smelling leaves.


	13. Chapter 13

_So, went to a comicon today and had an awesome time. Saw a bunch of people from the 501__st__ Legion and the Rebel Legion there. Stormtroopers are awesome. They had some gorgeous costumes. Someone had also built a life sized, radio-controlled, working R2-D2. If I had one, I would chase people with it. I also met two members of the Mandalorian Mercs, another Star Wars costuming group I am in the process of joining. They weren't in their beskar'gam, their armor, though. I did see another Mando though, but didn't talk to them. Mmmyep. Got my helmet done for my costume, which was fun, even though I gouged myself with chisels a couple times. Ah, well. So, please read and review!_

_Ki'cti-pa- Wrist blades._

Chapter 13

Kemiri crouched on a rooftop, watching as Deborah walked to her apartment. He would have liked to follow her up and make sure everything was okay, but the sun had just set and there were too many oomans around, even if he had his cloaking device switched on.

She seemed to be coping with the curse fairly well. It was something that she could deal with. Normal except for one night a month when she would be locked in Kemiri's basement to wait until morning, when normalcy would return. He hadn't noticed the werewolves running around the city lately either. Part of him wanted to believe that they had given up on acquiring Deborah, but he knew that that very unlikely. They had already shown themselves to be tricky creatures, charismatic and skilled in deception.

He stood up and strolled to the edge of the roof. Crouching, he dropped neatly onto an old fire escape. From there, he jumped onto a house roof and continued along to his home.

Once inside, he shed his armor and weapons, except his ki'cti-pa. He almost always kept those on. Grabbing a piece of fruit, he decided to go down to the basement and inspect the damage that Deborah had done while transformed into a wolf.

…..

The place was a shambles. The inside of the heavy wooden door at the top of the stairs was riddled with claw marks and smears of blood. The oak had withstood the assault quite well however. It was almost like rock. Below every small barred window were more claw marks in the walls, or bare cement where the paint had been scratched away. The bags that held Edan's old clothes were ripped apart, their contents destroyed completely.

Maybe Deborah had vented some of her fear and anger on belongings that still smelled of an old enemy? He kicked the rags into a corner.

The furniture, of which there was very little of, had been damaged, but not too badly. A chair leg had been gnawed off though. Deborah must have needed to chew. Kemiri decided he would put some meat down there next time.

The room where he stowed his weapons and armor was still closed. He did not really care about what had happened down there. He spent little time in the cold basement. Deborah could have free run down there when in her wolf form. No one would hear her, thanks to the soundproofing Edan had put in and there was no way she would get out. It was definitely the perfect place to house a werewolf and it had already proven to be an effective cell.

…..

Deborah laughed, swinging her arm and Kemiri's along with it. He chuckled along with her.

It was very late at night and the city was empty. It felt good to be able to walk at street level with him with his cloaking device shut off.

She had a little buzz going, which was harder now that she was a werewolf and her metabolism was cranked up.

They had climbed up to a rooftop with a bottle of wine, a few snacks and a blanket. They had sat up there, chatting and watching the thinning crowds of people until the temperature had dropped too much. Now they wandered along the back streets like any normal couple. Kemiri had left off his armor and mask, wearing a pair of loose pants, a long-sleeved tunic and a cloak with the hood up. He liked to think that if anyone was still up and happened to look through the window, they would just mistake him for an unusually dressed ooman in the darkness.

He seemed to be getting used to Earth's atmosphere. His breath only rasped when he was working hard now. He hadn't heard of other Yautja growing accustomed to other atmospheres, though he supposed it was not out of the question. Earth's air was not too different from the Homeworld's. Oomans were incredibly adaptable to slight variations in their own atmosphere. Yautja were less so. They did not have the enormous variations in terrain like Earth did; it had few high mountains and no high plains. They hadn't needed to evolve adaptable cardiovascular systems.

"I like being able to walk here, like anyone else." Kemiri said.

"I like being able to walk with you." Deborah giggled. "Christ, I sound like a schoolgirl. Oops! Someone's coming!"

They ducked into an arch, which had been the door to an old carriage house. Deborah stumbled against Kemiri, who grabbed her.

"Shhh!" she said, burying her face in his chest.

The Yautja freed one hand momentarily to tug his hood farther over his face. The passing ooman glanced at them and continued on.

"Close one." Kemiri muttered. "Is cold. Time to go." His English slipped slightly.

"Aw, fuck. I don't want to go home yet. I don't want to work in the morning."

"You have to."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I want to."

They extricated themselves from the arch and continued on their way.

"Kemiri, you go home. You don't have to walk me all the way back to my apartment. You aren't wearing your good thermal netting. You're starting to shiver."

"You sure? I can."

"Go. I don't know if you can get a cold and I don't want you to. I can't imagine you sneezing and coughing and dripping slime everywhere. C'mere." She reached up and grabbed his dreadlocks, tugging him down to her level.

He clicked his mandibles in surprise at her unexpected affection.

Deborah kissed his brow and hugged him, then pushed him away. "See you later!"

"Yes." He waited until she rounded and corner and then, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself, walked off on his own. The wind was getting colder and seemed to knife into his body.

…..

Deborah felt good. She didn't know if it was because of her tipsiness, the nice evening she had had with Kemiri or because of the way the chill wind whipped by her, bringing exciting smells to her nose, but she was _happy_. Maybe it was all three.

She glanced around her, not really caring if anyone saw her and started running. She stumbled and wove a little, then set her pace. She stretched her legs and ran flat out, leaping fire hydrants, skidding around corners, vaulting over newspaper boxes. She used the back of a bench as a step and trotted along the top of a metal fence.

She knew why the pack ran most nights. They ran because it gave them joy.

She jumped off the fence, her feet thudding into the concrete with a satisfying _smack_!, then hopped down a stairway, taking them two at a time. She finally began to slow, her throat burning, feet tingling, adrenaline rush abating. She was out of breath and liking it, at that point when the endorphins were flowing, chasing away any pains.

The autumn air was blissfully cool against her hot skin. She felt like she could run through the sweet night until the gray light of dawn kissed the horizon, ushering the darkness to its bed.

She didn't hear the footsteps over her laboured breathing. She didn't notice the figures behind her, spreading like blood in the water until the first hand touched her.

"Hey-!" Deborah yipped, whirling, "What's the big idea?" Her eyes settled on the black-clad figures, masked so only their eyes glittered. Her eyes widened.

She started running, but had gone no more than a few steps when they grabbed her. She was getting tired and they were fresh.

"Let go, you fuckers!" She pried at the hands that had fastened themselves onto her shoulder and upper arm, but then her left arm was seized too.

She yowled and kicked out, her sneaker clad foot connecting with someone's kneecap.

There was a gasp of pain and they stumbled away. Deborah felt her own ripple of pain in her hands and joints. She wrenched an arm free and without thinking, lashed out at the other Guardian Angels holding her.

One screamed as her claws tore through their face and neck!

"Help!" she screamed. Deborah was free and spun away just in time for someone _much_ bigger than she was to throw themselves at her, knocking her to the hard pavement.

Her forehead connected with a _crack_! Darkness that had nothing to do with the time of day swam at the edge of her vision. She could smell her own blood.

Strong hands pulled her hands together, binding them tightly with wire. She was pulled bodily up, sagging against her captors.

She smelled something sweet and chemically as they pulled a wad of damp paper towel out of a plastic bag and pressed it to her face. She struggled for a moment and then smelled nothing at all.


	14. Chapter 14

_Yay! Speedy update! This story is almost done now. I think maybe another three or four chapters and that is it! For now, that is… So, once again it sounds like I will be getting another job, since my current one is driving me up the wall. It could be such a good place, but the managers just don't know how to run it. Plus there is all the crap that goes on because of the downtown location… Bleh. 'Nuff pissing and moaning. Enjoy!_

_Jehdin Jehdin- Hand to hand combat, one on one._

_Sivk'va-tai- Plasma caster._

_Bhrak-chei- Spear gun._

Chapter 14

"Ell-osde'pauk!" Kemiri swore, dropping his knife and reaching for a cloth to wrap up his gouged finger. He muttered darkly as he peeled away the towel to peer at the wound.

Not too bad, which explained the pain.

He turned on the tap and let the cool water numb the sting and wash away the blood. Kemiri waited until the glowing blood seemed to be abating and wrapped his finger in paper towel.

Ah well, he wasn't in any mood to finish de-boning his dinner. He wrapped up the chicken and put it in the refrigerator.

As he did these fairly ordinary acts, he realized that no other Yautja warrior would ever think of doing something like this; living in an ooman's house, eating ooman's food, acting like an ooman most of the time. Had any other Yautja been exiled, they would have stuck with living in the wild, killing their food, not bothering to cook it, let alone making whole meals. They would have acted feral and certainly wouldn't have adjusted so well.

Had he really lost so much of what he had been? Time was, he wouldn't dared to live like this either. Sure, he might have day-dreamed about walking amongst the oomans, but not living _like_ an ooman. But, he was also at one of his happiest points in his life; he was free to learn and explore, there were no other warriors challenging him to Jehdin Jehdin and he didn't have to hunt if he didn't want to. Plus, Deborah was not overly aggressive and pushy. She didn't expect him to prove himself and keep proving that he was strong and clever and a fine warrior; he just had to be himself.

He sat down on the couch in the living room, re-wrapped his finger and turned on his modified screen.

He flipped through channels and sighed. Ooman broadcasts were as bad, if not worse than the Yautja ones sometimes.

Kemiri pressed the button again. Boring. Boring. Stupid. Boring. Smut. Senseless violence. Boring. Seen it. Stupid. Animals. Hmm… Better than nothing.

He put the remote down and slouched lower, watching the rather mesmerizing images of schools of fish and sleek sharks, acting out their parts in the drama of life. His eyelids drooped over his green eyes.

They closed.

Opened again.

Closed.

And opened to see the terrifyingly familiar chill face of Elizabeth leaning over him.

…..

Kemiri froze, instantly wide awake.

"Good. You're awake. I've been staring at you for ages."

"Why you here?" He swallowed. "Going to kill me?"

Elizabeth flinched and backed away a few steps. "Close the blinds! It's almost dawn."

The warrior blinked, but then got up, obligingly drawing the shades and pulling the curtains shut. The room was in almost complete blackness now, but it didn't matter to either of the two beings in the room.

"Why you here?" Kemiri asked again.

"I'm not here to kill you." the vampire said, tugging at the tight cuffs of her blouse. She seemed more at ease now. "I was out hunting and I saw something very interesting. Your… Woman was out running."

"Yes. She likes to." Kemiri tilted his head to the side, still suspicious. Elizabeth had not broken into his house this close to dawn just to report that Deborah had gone for a late night run after they split up.

"Well, she was attacked."

"What?!?" Kemiri snarled, his fists clenching, ki'cti-pa shooting out.

"The local werewolf pack went after her. It seems they want what is theirs back. She put up a good fight, but there were too many."

Kemiri growled, flaring his mandibles. "You told them for revenge?" he asked.

The petite blood drinker tossed a lock of light brown hair over her shoulder and snorted in a very un-ladylike fashion. "Why would I bother doing that? I have no love for werewolves."

"Then how they not see you?"

"Please. Do you think that I would have lived as long as I have if I was stupid and couldn't hide when I needed to?" She started pacing. "I decided to warn you. I could have just ignored the fact that your girlfriend has been kidnapped and let you find out the hard way. And speak in complete sentences, please. You know how. Stop acting like a great stupid beast."

Kemiri stood stock still for a moment, dumbstruck. He sheathed his wrist blades.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, I need to spend the day here. The sun has crested the horizon and I have no desire to turn into a small pile of ash when I am this close to gaining mastery of the city. Do you still have Edan's coffin?"

"No. I smashed it."

"Hmph. Well, I need to sleep, so anywhere dark will work."

"Pillow? Blanket?" the Yautja offered, trying to keep calm despite the rising terror and rage roiling in his belly.

"Yes please." Elizabeth opened the basement door and descended the steps, commenting, "It smells like dog down here." as she went.

Kemiri got the necessary bedding materials and followed the vampire.

He found her standing in his armoury, examining a sword almost as big as she was.

He frowned; he had locked the door.

"I will sleep here." she announced.

Kemiri grumbled, not liking his armoury invaded like this, but she was a powerful vampire and could probably bench press a car, so arguing would be a bad idea. She placed the sword back on the rack and took the bedding, arranging it on the rug in the middle of the floor.

Elizabeth flapped a hand at him, shooing him away.

Kemiri left. He wanted very badly to track down those tarei'hasans and gut them, but he couldn't. He had to wait. They would not be out in the day either, except to do perfectly normal things in public where he would not dare to attack. Even if he stayed up on the rooftops and shot them with his sivk'va-tai or bhrak-chei, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't see or even if that would kill the shapeshifters. He had no idea about their weaknesses. Well, actually, from what he had learned, there were numerous myths about what would kill a werewolf, but he had no idea if they would be true. With blood drinkers most of the mythology certainly wasn't true.

Kemiri started pacing around the house, feeling like he was in a prison.

…..

When night finally fell, he was a nervous wreck. He had to find Deborah!

Elizabeth finally sauntered back up the stairs, looking wide awake, her long hair completely un-mussed, her skirt and blouse unwrinkled and it rankled Kemiri for some reason.

"Took you long enough." he growled.

The vampire frowned. "You should know better than most that we do not choose when to wake up. If you were not distraught, I would punish you for your discourtesy."

Kemiri and the vampire glared at each other for a moment, before he finally broke eye contact, walking down the stairs.

Elizabeth sighed and an odd look passed over her face, a mixture of sorrow, longing and regret. Just as quickly, it was gone, her normal haughty mask back in place.

She chose to leave before Kemiri came back up from the armoury.

…..

Kemiri shoved his feet into the big armoured boots, pulling the buckles snug around his calves and ankles.

This was the first time he was going to wear his new armor. Sure, he had tried on various pieces, noting how they were all perfect fits, but never all of it.

It brought back memories of his Kainde Amedha Chiva; how this could be the day that he would die.

He began buckling on plates.

He had almost died several times before but realized that this would be the first time he had set out ready to die for someone else. Sure, when he had fought Edan, it had turned into him being ready to die for Deborah but… He hadn't really had a choice then. He had had to kill Edan anyways and would have been happy to die in the process at the time.

The warrior dropped the shoulder and back armor on, yanking his dreadlocks out from under the heavy piece.

Kemiri knew that he didn't really have a choice now. He couldn't _not_ save Deborah now; he couldn't imagine sitting in his home while the werewolves did something to her, maybe even killed her.

He pressed his mask against his face with one hand while doing up the hoses with the other, smelling his own breath, feeling it warm against his face before the seals and filters kicked in. He took in a deep breath, his head swimming for a moment as he breathed in air that was richer than he was now used to. He would have to fix that.

Now he was ready, ready to go out and die, if necessary. This was probably a trap, but he didn't care. He wanted vengeance and blood on his claws.

…..

Deborah sat up with a groan. Her head was pounding. Suddenly, a wave of nausea rolled over her and she retched onto the floor.

When she was done, she sat back up again, picking up a corner of the blanket to wipe her mouth and nose. Still tasting the foulness in her mouth, she spat over the side of the bed a few times. There _was_ already a mess…

She balled up the soiled blanket and lobbed it off the end of the bed. Now she began to wonder where she was.

The room was as devoid of personality as a hotel room; just the bed, a chair and a dresser. The light was off, but enough illumination came in from the street through the small window that she could see.

Deborah got up slowly, but spots danced before her eyes anyway and she wobbled with dizziness.

She put a hand up to her aching head and felt a crust of blood on her forehead with some hair stuck in it. She began picking the scab off while opening the drawers in the dresser, searching for something that could tell her where she was or whose room this was.

The werewolf finally sat back down on the end of the bed, wrinkling her nose at the smell of her sick.

The drawers were empty. For a moment, Deborah thought about going and beating on the door, but thought better of it. She didn't want whoever had put her in here knowing she was awake just yet. However, only about fifteen minutes passed before she heard footsteps coming.

Deborah tensed, ears pricked. Unknowingly, she changed slightly, claws growing, eyes becoming more feral.

The knob turned, the door opened and Marie stood framed in the doorway.

"Why the fuck did you do this to me?!?" Deborah spat. "This is against the fucking _law_."

"Calm down, Deborah. You're losing control."

"I'll show you losing control…" Deborah threw herself at Marie.

The shorter woman stepped to the side and Deborah sailed through the doorway to sprawl in an undignified heap.

Another Guardian Angel stuck his head around the corner to stare.

"We only want to help you." Marie said, fiddling with a metal ring on her belt. "You have to learn to control yourself. If someone sees you out in your fur, we will all be in danger."

"So you kidnap me?!?"

"Well, you ran on the ritual night."

"No one told me I was going to get turned into a goddamned werewolf!"

"Alpha thought you would enjoy this. He thought you would understand what a gift this is."

"I would rather be human. You can't keep me locked up here!"

The other Angel said, "You weren't locked in that room. We just shut the door so you wouldn't be disturbed. You can go anywhere in the house you want; you just can't leave unaccompanied until we know you aren't going to get stressed out and shift in public."

The rage in her chest seemed to grow to unimaginable proportions and felt as if it was going to cause her to explode. Instead, her body prickled all over and her joints popped loudly.

"Oh, merde…" Marie murmured. "Lucas, get in here!"

Deborah screamed as her jaws crunched forward and her teeth grew.

She jumped awkwardly at Marie, who let out a yip of fear and threw herself right back at Deborah, tackling her and wrapping both hands around her muzzle.

Deborah gave a muffled growl and kicked at Marie, her claws ripping furrows in her jeans and legs.

The other werewolf, Lucas, grabbed the now mostly changed Deborah and wrenched her head back, forcing the werewolf's nose into the plastic bag with the ether soaked paper towel.

The effect was almost immediate.

Werewolves had a high metabolism, which meant that they got over drugs quickly, but also mean they succumbed quickly.

She went limp, icy blue eyes rolling up.

Lucas rolled her off himself with a grunt. Deborah was in her fur, shreds of clothing still wrapped about her form.

"Well, that went well." the young man muttered. "You hurt?"

Marie grimaced, "Mostly just flesh wounds. Her angle was wrong when she kicked me. It'll heal in a few days." She picked at the shreds of her pants, pulling a few pieces out of the bleeding wounds on her thighs. "Ow. Fuck."

"At least she'll believe us about losing control now." Lucas crouched and picked up the unconscious werewolf, a move that would have been impressive for a normal human, since Deborah was the size of a large German Shepherd.

He deposited her on the bed and picked up the soiled blanket, wiping up the vomit on the floor with it. He made a mental note to put a bucket and a glass of water in the room for when she changed back and awoke.

He shut the door behind himself, ensuring that only something with fingers could get out.

"Need help up?" he asked Marie.

"No." she grunted, slowly getting up and limping down the hall to the bathroom, leaning against the wall. She shut herself in.

Soon, Lucas heard running water, followed soon after by more swearing in both English and French.

Marie must have been pulling the fabric out of the wounds again.

He sealed and stowed the ether bag in his pocket, ready for more possible shapeshifting emergencies.

…..

Ulf paced through the field followed closely by about six members of the pack. He sniffed the air. He knew that the creature that Deborah had run to would not ignore her disappearance. They would find it and kill it to ensure that Deborah would be forced to turn to the pack for support. Once she was safely among the other werewolves, she would learn that the Guardian Angels were not so bad.

A faint howl echoed off the buildings, reflecting weirdly back to his ears so he couldn't pin-point it exactly.

He stopped, holding out a hand. The rest of the pack slid to a stop obediently in a rustle of cloth and a jingle of metal.

The howl came again, closer this time, holding a note of panic and soon they saw another Angel pelting full tilt at them, one hand clutching her shoulder. Blood flowed thick and wet from a deep wound in the muscle between shoulder and neck.

"He's following me!" she yelped as she dove into the mass of pack members, seeking safety within the group.

Ulf glanced about, fists tensed at his sides.

The other Guardian Angels formed a circle, facing outwards, hands resting on their knives. Most of them could change any time of the month, but only when the Alpha said and only in the direst circumstances.

"Where's Deb'rah?!?" a voice suddenly snarled.


	15. Chapter 15

'_Allo 'allo 'allo, what's all this then? Ahem. So, I've been a busy little monkey since I last updated. I'm almost done what will probably be the last chapter, if it isn't too long. I've gotten a new job and I luffs it so. I've also just gotten back from a weeks vacation, which is the reason why I managed to get a fair amount of writing done._

_Now, I've somehow managed to offend someone by posting my writing up here in my style. Since then, she and a few others have taken it upon themselves to flame the bejeezus out of me. I don't care if it is just over the internet and you will never see my face, it is still a form of bullying. Do not try to quash people's writing just because they are not professionals with an army of editors and do not write in a style you like. If you don't like it, don't read it. I shall update my merry heart out. Like I said, I've kept writing this because of sheer bloody-mindedness and because I and a few others like it. Usen'ye, aruetiise, as the Mando'ade would say._

_Tarei'hasan- Unworthy opponent._

Chapter 15

"She's safe. Show yourself." Ulf rumbled, eyes, darting around the darkness, ears pricked, straining for any hint of the beings location. He could certainly smell it; the creature's musk was strong and angry, but the unpredictable autumn wind came in fits and spurts, blowing from no direction in particular.

There was a crackle of blue light and a tall figure stood before them. It was unlike anything Ulf had ever seen before and a few pack members stirred uncertainly, but held their ground.

He felt a surge of pride for them.

The creature towered over most of the Guardian Angels and was muscled. It wore spiky armor and had at least a half a dozen weapons with it.

"So you are the one that stole Deborah from us." the Alpha said.

"She chose to come to me after you monsters changed her. You tarei'hasans had no right."

"She chose! She is part of the pack now!" Ulf snarled.

The pack growled support behind him.

"Inge! Now!" he bellowed. A river of blackness flowed out of the forest on the edge of the river. It separated into two streams, surrounding the creature, which hissed and drew a jagged, vicious-looking sword.

"Kill it!"

…..

Kemiri crouched, debating on whether to trust his weapons and armor against these shape shifters or to run from them. He knew there would be some sort of trap; he just hadn't expected there to be so many all at once.

As the new group closed in on him, he saw something happening to the Guardian Angels; their forms were warping and twisting in a manner that was horribly familiar. They tipped forward, running with renewed speed on paws.

The Alpha threw his head back and bayed a deep, ringing note that was immediately echoed by the rest of the pack, the different tones melding together into a song that announced the hunt and promised death.

Kemiri started running. He had no choice. He was at a disadvantage here. He had to get to high ground!

The pack ebbed and flowed around him, driving his path by nipping at his flanks or leaping suddenly at him.

Kemiri realized he had made a horrible mistake. He had never, ever fought anything like the werewolves before. Not even Kainde Amedha had such teamwork. True, they would attempt to drive their prey into traps, but they were predictable; Kemiri knew how to fight them. He didn't know how to fight the werewolves.

He gasped for air, pushing himself harder.

The Guardian Angels cavorted around him. They knew he couldn't get away.

He was being driven farther and farther away from the safety of trees and buildings.

The Yautja hissed and lashed out with his sword, swinging it wildly behind and beside him.

One of the werewolves yelped as the tip clipped it.

Kemiri hurled himself through the opening created by his desperate attack. The laser sight on his mask came on and with a twitch of his mandible, fired three shots from his plasma caster in quick succession. At least one shape shifter was killed.

Kemiri pushed himself in one more frantic burst and leaped, hands stretching up. If he missed, they would swarm over him and tear him to pieces… But he managed to snag the branch! He swung wildly, but was able to swing himself up onto the branch, scrambling upwards until he sat astride a comfortably large limb on the maple.

The werewolves milled below him, growling and barking, jumping and standing on their hind legs.

"Miss having hands now?" Kemiri commented, getting his breath back.

A few Guardian Angels started to change, but it was slow and a few could not manage it, caught up in the excitement of the hunt.

The biggest wolves loped up. One reared onto its hind legs.

He realized that it was Ulf, not fully changed.

He curled his lip at Kemiri, revealing viciously long fangs. "We treed you like a cat, beast. Do you think my pack will be deterred by that?" he slurred, spittle flying out from between his teeth.

Four Angels managed to turn human or mostly human again; they began scaling the tree.

Kemiri watched with interest. He was feeling better now. He was in his element and they were the clumsy ones. He waited until one was almost within reach, then casually reached over, cocked the spear gun on his left wrist gauntlet and shot the werewolf in the chest.

She emitted a gurgling noise and tumbled out of the tree, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch.

When the others drew too close he stood up on the branch, his claws biting deep into the bark and ran down the tree limb, bouncing once and leaping to the next tree.

The werewolves in the first maple goggled at him.

"I can do this all night."

Ulf glared and snarled, then started climbing a tree himself.

…..

Deborah paced restlessly in the room. She could hear the television blaring faintly and the low murmur of Marie and Lucas talking. They had tried to get her to come out after she had changed back and woken up, but she had refused.

However, she had eaten the food they had given her. The change had made her ravenous. The room had been cleaned up while she was out of it and now hardly smelled like vomit at all. They had even put some clothes in the room to replace the ones that had torn when she had shifted.

The soft chatter stopped suddenly and the TV was switched off.

Deborah halted her aimless wandering, the sound of her footsteps on the creaking floor suddenly deafening.

Another, unfamiliar voice started up; Deborah strained her ears.

"I'm sorry. I was locked out of my house and I wonder if you could perhaps allow me to use your telephone…"

There was a startled howl. "YOU!"

A growl rippled through the air that twisted abruptly into a shrill yelp of pain. Something thumped in a struggle, there was a bang and some splintering noises and a scream of pain that tapered off into faint whimpers and gasps of pain.

Footsteps came up to her door, the knob turned and Deborah saw a tiny woman standing before her. She wore a pale green turtleneck and a long brown skirt. Button boots winked underneath the hem. Her hands were bloody, clothes speckled with it. Her smell wafted through the air; she smelled of dust, dried flowers, blood and something cold. This inspired a feeling of dread in Deborah, but she didn't know why.

"Hurry. I am sure more will be on their way shortly."

"Who, no, what the hell are you?" she asked, backing away.

The petite woman sighed, crossing her arms below her breasts. "I am Elizabeth." At Deborah's blank look, she added, "I am a vampire."

_That_ produced an immediate reaction! A partial change began, the werewolf's claws and teeth growing.

"I know Kemiri. I have come to help you escape, god knows why… Look, stop with the shape shifting. Kemiri would be very unhappy and become quite a bore if you were to die. Do I need to carry you out, or will you come quietly?"

She stared. Elizabeth's head didn't even come to her shoulder; she had to be only about five feet tall.

"I'll come." Deborah sucked in a few breaths, clearing her head and trying to will away the change. It mostly worked, except for her claws.

They walked out into a scene of carnage.

Lucas lay on the floor in a pool of blood. Deborah knew he was dead because people generally couldn't survive holes the size of a fist through their chest. Marie was in a crumpled heap below a hole in the wall where she had been thrown. One arm was oozing blood and lying at a strange angle.

"Stop staring." Elizabeth reached out and took Deborah's wrist in an iron grip, towing her out.

…..

Kemiri crouched high in the tree, surrounded by werewolves. More were creeping towards him, uncomfortable in the heights, still advancing despite the two dead Guardian Angels and the numerous wounded ones. Ulf and the other big wolf stayed fairly low in the tree, sending the other pack members up.

While it had been faintly amusing for a while, the Yautja was now getting very tired of shooting them down only to watch most of them roll over, pull the spear heads out and get right back to harassing him. It was time to end this. He swung upside down and dropped, tucking and rolling when he hit the ground. He took off running again, listening to the werewolves yelping and barking in surprise.

"Follow him!" Ulf snarled, "Cut him off before he gets back into the buildings!" But it was too late; they would never overtake him now.

The Alpha howled in rage. They could not follow as a pack of wolves and could not follow as humans since they were all naked. Only Ulf and the other big wolf had stayed partially transformed and retained some clothing, stretched and torn though it was. They followed while the rest of the pack tried to find clothing.

…..

Kemiri swarmed up the side of a building, his claws scraping as he dug them into the mortar between bricks.

If this worked, neither he no Deborah would ever have to worry about the werewolves again. If it didn't… Well, the other Yautja would be very pleased.

Shouted commands echoed off the buildings; he strained his ears, trying to figure out where they came from. The hard walls reflected sound confusingly. The warrior did not like it.

He ran to the edge of the building and peered over.

There was the other Guardian Angel, the big female.

Wrong side. He crossed and looked over the edge again.

There. The shape shifters obviously thought they were being clever, flanking him like that. Had he actually wanted to get away, they never would have found him in this maze of buildings. He would never have chosen a fairly low building like this, with such a convenient fire escape and roof access ladder.

He checked his net gun, ensuring nothing was in the barrel, making sure it was charged and loaded.

Just a moment longer… Almost… Kemiri fancied that he could feel the vibrations of the climbing werewolves through the soles of his feet, though that was silly. Almost… Now!

He jumped onto the edge of the roof and fired the net gun at Ulf, who howled in shock, tumbling off the ladder. The Yautja leaped after him, tangling his fingers in the tough mesh.

They landed hard but there was no time to wait and recover. With a roar, Kemiri slung the net and its contents over his shoulder.

Ulf was short, but he was broad and solid. Kemiri could carry him, but not for long.

He took off running, listening to the female Guardian Angel's cry of fear and rage.

…..

"Where are we going?" Deborah asked, following the vampire.

"Somewhere safe. The pack will be looking for you. Where you are going they will never dare to tread."

That scared Deborah for some reason. "Whoa! No! I'm not coming with you! I'll go somewhere safe myself."

Elizabeth snarled, a bizarre sound coming from her delicate face. "You will come with me, even if I have to carry you. Do not dismiss my aid so quickly."

"How do I even know you are going to help me?!? You don't like me! Maybe you just want my blood!"

"Stupid werewolf." the vampire hissed. "Shape shifter blood is usually far too gamey for my palate. Why would I free you to kill you later? I may not like you, but I am not that devious sort of person. If I want to kill someone, I do. No mind games, no waiting until later, no tricks. You will just be dead. I am helping you because I care for Kemiri and he cares for you! I do not want him hurt and if something happened to you that would hurt him. So come with me."

Deborah stared a moment and then stepped forward.

"Finally. Some sense. You werewolves are far too hot-blooded and driven by passions."

They walked along the street, looking as normal as possible. Deborah kept her clawed hands in the pocket of her sweat shirt. Elizabeth had washed the blood off her hands in a fountain and rolled up her bloody cuffs to her elbows. No one would see the tiny spatters of blood unless they came very close.

"Well, this is kind of awkward." Deborah finally said.

"Yes. It is."

"So, um, were you and Kemiri… Um."

"No." said Elizabeth stiffly. "We shall not speak of this anymore, werewolf."

"Ugh! What is your fucking problem, _vampire_? Why are you treating me like something you found on the bottom of your boot?"

The vampire tossed her head arrogantly and said, "Our kinds do not get along well. Werewolves are too passionate, too impulsive. They too often act on the moment. Your kind has caused many problems for ruling vampires."

"_My_ kind?!? I haven't even been a werewolf for long! What about _your_ kind? Kemiri said you've been causing some problems too! You vampires are treating this city like it's your personal battleground!"

Elizabeth glared coldly.

"As far as I know, the Guardian Angels have been fixing this city! They are getting rid of the criminals. Maybe I don't like some of their methods, maybe I didn't ask to be one, but they at least lower crime, not add to it!"

"You mortals just don't see the big picture. There is a power vacuum here and it must be filled, lest another Master decides to add to his territory. A vampire war is not a pretty thing."

"At least werewolves don't have wars…"

"No. You just terrorize villages, turn people who are ill-suited to the change and make monsters."

Deborah sucked in the cold air with some difficulty. "How about we stop arguing? Obviously we are very different in some ways and very similar in others. We can't start fighting over stupid things. We agree to disagree, okay?"

"I would wipe the floor with you, werewolf, but fine. We cannot help anything by fighting and we both would hurt Kemiri if we did. Truce. Now come."


	16. Chapter 16

_Whee! This story is finally done, just over a year after I started it. Hoorah!_

_Only a short while until Transformers comes out! EEK! I'm totally going to dork it up in a Transformers shirt. Oh, and by the way, getting hit by a car on your scooter is a bad idea. It hurts rather a lot. Lucky for me I had all my gear on and I kept all my skin. I had some wicked bruises though… Anyways, enjoy!_

_Kainde Amedha- Hard Meat, Xenomorph._

_Tarei'hasan- Unworthy opponent, insect._

Chapter 16

Kemiri crouched, staring Ulf right in the eye. The leader of the Guardian Angels returned the glare.

"What are you, you monster?"

"Not your business. _I_ ask the questions. _You_ answer them."

"I'm not answering anything, you bastard."

Kemiri indicated the cord that bound him. "You my captive. Try and get out, tarei'hasan."

Ulf complied, muscles bulging, veins standing out on his neck. Then he started to shift, skin crawling, fur growing, his limbs twisting. With a gasp, Ulf stopped the change part way through. His changing shape was making the cords cut into his body. If he finished, he could be seriously wounded. Slowly, the humanity returned to his features as he eased back into one form.

Kemiri watched, amused. "See? Those ropes hold Kainde Amedha. You could not break them. I want answers."

"Why should I even tell you anything?"

He tilted his head. "Because you won't be going anywhere else."

They stared at each other for a moment again.

"I want to know why you have made the Guardian Angels."

Ulf shrugged as much as the ropes would allow.

"We are a pack and a pack must run. I keep my pack in check by giving them a way to vent their hunting instincts safely."

"Why do you not change?"

He snorted. "A large pack of werewolves running around a city? Don't be stupid. They would discover my pack and destroy us in a heart beat and then all the other packs would be rooted out and destroyed too."

Kemiri tilted his head to the side. "You changed and ran tonight."

"We were in a safer place for that. Not many people walk around there late at night. There is forest for us to melt into. Besides, it was the safest way for us to fight you. No, when I became Alpha, I knew our ways had to truly change. My grandfather was the Alpha of one of the last great packs, you know. Inge, Leif and I are the last of that pack."

"Really? How did that happen?"

"A human was attacked one full moon by one of the pups. They were rambunctious; it happened sometimes. The town nearby tolerated us… Well, feared us. The town elders knew of us and did not bother any pack member since it was best for everyone. But… The human who was attacked survived. The next full moon they changed."

"Like Deb'rah?"

"Not so well. She was a monster, like out of the werewolf B-movies. That was that. Our secret was out. We had violated the unspoken law and attacked not a foolish hunter, but someone from the town and made a monster. They rose up and slaughtered almost everyone. My grandfather and a half dozen other pack members survived to escape to America and then to here. We three are their descendants. My father started a new pack up, but we could not live like we did back in Norway. He banned us from running under the moon, except on full moons when we could do nothing else. New pack members hardly learned control and again, someone was attacked, though this time they died. We had to move again and again, each time the forbidden hunger winning. Finally, my father died, a broken and sorrowful creature. I took control of the pack and changed things. The rest of the pack members from the old country died, leaving none to oppose my way of doing things. We ran almost every night as humans. Not as good as in our fur, but it worked. We were able to keep our instincts in check. But, our pack was tiny. Leif had two sisters and Inge a brother, but within a couple generations we would have vanished anyway."

"Why not find another pack?"

Ulf gave a short mirthless laugh. "Where? Werewolves are a vanishing breed. All pure-bred shape shifters are rare. But, I learned how to make more werewolves."

Realization dawned on Kemiri.

"The ritual."

"Yes. The terrible monsters that often cropped up, either soon after an attack or later if they were a sleeper, were a result of someone being bitten on a full moon. Drinking the wolfs bane tincture helps it along and helps prevent monsters from being born. More packs once had the secret of changing humans, but as we were wiped out most with that knowledge died. Only a few knew about it, but I rooted it out. Now packs are making half-breeds to fortify their ranks. They are not as powerful as pure-bred werewolves, but they will keep us from dying out. We will survive for now." He sighed deeply. "I have only been trying to save my people."

Kemiri scowled. "You should not have changed people without their permission. You ruined Deb'rah's life."

Ulf growled, "Oh? And tell them what? 'So, I'm glad you're enjoying the Guardian Angels, want to be a werewolf?' I don't think so. This way they can't go and blab to everyone. They _have_ to keep us secret. And you know what? It works. My pack is strong. My pack is safe. My pack will survive." He met Kemiri's eyes, or at least the eye-holes in his mask. "But I won't, will I?"

Silence, then, "No. You hurt Deb'rah. I will protect her whether she wants me to or not and that includes destroying all those who endanger her."

"You would make a good werewolf. A good leader puts his pack first. I have not been a good leader. I allowed two pack members to die trying to kill you. I was foolish and caught up in my own pride."

Kemiri sat down, his armor crunching against the roof. He rested his forearms on his raised knees and meshed his fingers. "You did well as a leader. You protected them for so long and helped them succeed when other leaders failed. I have met many poorer leaders. I do have a few more questions be… before…" His jaw clenched. "Did you ever love Deb'rah? Ever?"

Ulf thought for a moment. "I… cared for her like I cared for every member of my pack. I saw her potential and loved her inner strength. I saw the beautiful wolf-creature she becomes. I loved how she appreciated the hunt and the night, even before the ritual. But, did I love her as you do? No. I would not see her as a mate. I cannot grow too attached to any one female just yet." He sighed ruefully. "The downside to being part of an endangered species is that we must spread our genes far. As many half-breeds must have children with pure-breds as possible to ensure the pack remains strong."

"You would do that than truly love someone?"

"You aren't endangered. You don't understand. A natural disaster won't wipe you out. What are you anyways?" When the Yautja hesitated, he added, "It's not like I'll be able to tell everyone. I'm going to die anyways. I just want to know out of curiosity. For closure."

Kemiri rumbled a little, but then reached up to remove his mask.

Ulf grunted, blinking. "You're certainly an ugly fucker."

Kemiri ignored him and said, "I am an alien, as you would call it. My people, the Yautja, are hunters. I am not normal for my kind. I like to hunt, but my life does not centre around the hunt. I much prefer watching… prey and learning things. I… I was banished from my clan because of that, in a way."

Ulf raised his brows, "How in the name of the moon did that happen?"

"Let us just say that vampires are bad news."

He scoffed, "I could have told you that. The past weeks have had dozens of vampire battles. I had to ban the pack from intervening in case a vampire in the throes of bloodlust decided to take the heads off them for coming too close. Irritating, haughty creatures. Too clever for their own good by half. The old City Master was crazy and an idiot, but he was certainly better than half the new ones who are hell-bent on taking the city for their own."

Kemiri shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat with a sound like a garbage disposal.

Ulf let out a bark of laughter, "You did it, didn't you? You killed the head vampire!"

"He wanted to hurt Deb'rah."

"You _are_ crazy!"

Kemiri narrowed his eyes. "Would you do anything different if your pack had been threatened by Edan?"

Ulf raised his brows. "I would protect my pack, but even I would think twice about fighting him! I would have retreated and thought up a strategy, used the rest of my pack to keep him off-balance before striking. A good leader should know when the odds are impossible and work to switch them in his favour."

"Hmph. I did not have the luxury of time." Kemiri muttered.

Ulf smirked a little.

The Yautja clicked his mandibles irritably but the Alpha said nothing else.

"It is getting late." Kemiri finally said awkwardly.

Ulf clenched his jaw. "Get it over with quickly." he growled.

"My people do not enjoy hunting endangered species… We make sure we do not kill the last, for if we killed everything, what would our children hunt? This does not feel right to me, but… My honour demands it."

"Will you quit making stupid fucking excuses and get it over with!" Ulf strained at the ropes, shifting slightly so his face was distorted by the beginnings of a muzzle, fangs glistening in the city lights. "KILL ME!"

Kemiri hissed, drawing back slightly from the fearsome monster in front of him. His hand went to a knife on his belt but still he hesitated.

The werewolf snarled, sputum flying as he lunged for Kemiri. The rope shifted ever so slightly.

He seized Ulf by the hair, yanking his head back and drew his knife.

"Ssverrr sspinnne." Ulf slurred.

The blade flashed as he dragged it through skin and muscle and finally bone, hot blood drenching his hands. Kemiri sawed through the bone and finally yanked the werewolf's skull free with a crack as the last shards of bone and tissue finally released their hold.

All bestial features faded from Ulf's face as the life did, leaving an entirely human looking head.

Kemiri, somewhere underneath the joy and sorrow and regret felt a vague sense of disappointment since the skull looked nothing like the monstrous creature of a few minutes ago. He quashed that feeling and gathered up the rope, coiling it and stowing it in his belt pouch. Then he pulled out a vial of glowing blue liquid.

It was a precious blend of nanites and chemicals, optimally designed to destroy Kainde Amedha bodies, though it worked on other species too. Most warriors would think nothing of using it on a hunt to destroy unwanted evidence on the rare occasion when they did not want to attract notice of worthier prey, but Kemiri had very little. He had a feeling he would come to need it again. If Ulf had been human, he wouldn't have worried about destroying the body; he would have just left the body somewhere to be discovered in the future. Let the authorities think it was some psycho. But he couldn't do that now. He owed that much to Ulf even after the misery of the last two months. He had to protect the pack and Deborah.

Opening the vial, he carefully dripped a small measure onto the body. The nanites started working immediately, consuming the body. He waited a few moments to ensure they had consumed the corpse completely and then left. The blue patch would decay and turn to gray dust in an hour or so. Nothing left.

Replacing his mask, the warrior threw himself off the side of the building, going far from that place. He had to find Deborah now.

…..

Deborah gazed around the room, nose twitching at the new smells. This was not as she expected. The condo looked far too normal to have an ancient vampire living in it. True, there were several splendid antique pieces of furniture, but mixed in were wholly modern pieces and even a computer, humming softly. Not what she expected at all. In her head, Deborah had imagined a grand old house, like Edan's old home. It had been dim and dusty and filled with museum pieces. Not a small, bright condo. She picked up a small decoration and peered at the bottom. Yep. Ikea.

Elizabeth walked into the living room, dressed in a fresh skirt and turtleneck.

"Don't you ever wear something more modern? You look like you should be giving tourists lectures in the Musee du Fort."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "I think not. I know your ideas on 'fashion' now. I'll wear something comfortable and modest. I do not wish to look like a wharf-side doxie."

"You think corsets are comfortable…" She raised her brows and smirked. The expression wiped from her face as Elizabeth's last words computed. "Wait a sec, are you calling me a whore?!?"

"Oh no, werewolf. It was simply a general statement."

Deborah narrowed her eyes, but didn't bother replying. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm here safe and it doesn't look like anyone has followed us, so do I stay or go or what?"

"I think it would be best to stay for now. We will know soon enough if the werewolves have been dealt with."

Deborah nodded and chewed her lip absently. "Um. Do you have any food?"

Elizabeth gave her a look.

"I have to eat more now. Shifting seems to take a lot of energy." She thought what food would be to Elizabeth and added, "Never mind. I'm fine for now."

"I have juice, tea and coffee. You are welcome to any of that."

"Thank you." She poured herself some juice after a short hunt for glasses. Elizabeth didn't seem to want to offer any assistance. She replaced the carton in the barren refrigerator and walked back into the living room, sitting down on the edge of a chair. The whole place smelled like vampire and it put her on edge.

Elizabeth watched her with in that blank, perfectly still way that was guaranteed to send anyone into stomach-churning nervousness. It was like having your parents stare at you, making you strain to figure out what you did wrong.

"Please stop staring."

"No. I'll stare if I wish."

Deborah bristled, but was stopped by a tapping at the window. "Kemiri!" She rushed over and opened the window, letting in the cold night air and a wave of wonderfully familiar musk. She popped out the screen and the Yautja swung inside neatly.

"How did you find me?!?"

He tapped the front of his mask where his nose would be and she imagined him smiling underneath. "Blood-drinker and shape shifter together? Very unusual. Once I smelled you two together, I guessed where Elizabeth would take you. I did not ask you to get involved, blood-drinker, but I am glad you did. Thank you."

Elizabeth had her haughty mask on again and gave only a curt nod. "

What happened to the Guardian Angels?"

Kemiri stiffened slightly and said, "Broken. I killed Ulf. They are leaderless now."

"You killed him?!?"

"Yes. It was the only way. We both understood that. We knew one of us would have to die. I must admit that after speaking with him, I did not want to kill him."

"Um, why not? You hated him!"

He replied, "I… Understood where he was coming from, in a way. He was part of an endangered species and wanted only to keep his kind alive. That does not mean I liked him." he added.

"This is all fascinating, I'm sure, and I don't mean to be a poor host but your woman is saved, happy endings all around, please get out. I did not involve myself to be one of your little friends and I would really like some privacy."

Kemiri walked over to the vampire, tension humming in the air between them.

Once again, Deborah wondered what exactly had gone on between them, but after everything that Kemiri had done for her she didn't exactly feel any jealousy.

"Thank you Eliz'beth…" he started to say, reaching out to the hand that rested on the chair back.

She snatched it away.

"I do not need your thanks. You have already thanked me once. Must I be anymore clear? Out."

"Thank you anyways." Kemiri cloaked and exited back through the window, climbing up to the roof. Deborah left the more conventional way.

Once they were gone, Elizabeth snapped the screen back into place and slammed the window shut, shooting a glare in their general direction. She trembled with a mixture of rage and sorrow and wanting. Stupid alien. Stupid werewolf. Stupid _feelings_!

…..

"What are we going to do now?!?" wailed Leif. "Alpha is dead! We are leaderless! Any other pack could come in here and kill us all! What if the Lions come or Ottawa's Eyrie breaks the treaty?"

Inge growled, "Would you get a hold of yourself? I'm shocked Ulf ever chose you to be one of his Betas. We aren't done yet. I will take control of the pack."

"_You_? You think you can be Alpha?"

"Are you going to stop me?" snarled Inge.

"Maybe I will." Leif replied.

They circled, growling, sinking onto four legs smoothly, trying not to show pain, displaying their control. The rest of the pack closed in around them, watching. The pack must have a leader and before anything else could be done, they must have control.

A few of the half-breeds looked like they were thinking about attacking the bristling creatures in the circle but thought better of it. They were out-classed compared to the pure-bred werewolves.

The two werewolves arched their necks, ears flat against their heads, lips peeled back, showing their gleaming fangs. Both had their tails curled up over their backs, displaying their size and acting dominant, hoping that the other would back off first. But, no such luck.

The smaller, leaner wolf-creature growled and feinted to the left, then dodged to the right and ripped open a gash on the big silver wolf's flank.

She yelped and seemed to turn around in her own skin, latching her jaws onto Leif's ruff, but her teeth gripped only fur and he pulled away, leaving her with a mouthful of foxy red hair.

She spat it out and came after him snarling and growling!

He spun, her teeth clipping shut on air and struck, but she was fast too and ripped at his snout with her claws, leaving red lines across his nose.

Leif yipped and jumped at her, their jaws snapping at each other, but the blows glancing off bone, neither able to lock their teeth onto something soft. The shape shifters backed off, showing their teeth and bristling.

They circled again, stiff-legged.

Inge made the first move this time, barrelling into Leif, knocking him over.

He howled and tried to writhe out from underneath her, rolling over, his claws digging into the soil.

She rumbled savagely and sank her teeth into his ruff again, shaking him like a rag doll. Then it was all over.

She dropped him and he rolled onto his back, exposing his belly with a whimper, tail curled up between his legs.

Inge bared her teeth in a snarl, arching her neck.

He reached up and mouthed her lower jaw and that was it. Inge was the new leader.

The smaller werewolf rolled over and slunk away.

The others threw their heads back and howled, announcing the new leadership. Then they fled, running on silent feet and paws into the night. The noise, coupled with the earlier commotion would certainly have attracted attention. Those that were still human gathered up the two that were dead and the shreds of clothing that remained from those that shifted.

The Guardian Angels had a new leader now, but they were by no means stable. Over the next few weeks there would be many fights as the pecking order was changed around, as alliances were made and broken. Everyone had known their place before but now everything was in the air and no one was quite sure how it would come down. The future was uncertain. Another shape shifter group could choose this as a good time to expand their territory, or one of the vampires could decide to do a little housecleaning.

They would be lucky if all the members managed to survive until order was re-established.

…..

"What now?" asked Deborah. They were relaxing in Deborah's apartment on her big old leather couch.

Kemiri shrugged. "I will be here always, if you need me to be."

"Sounds good to me." replied Deborah, snuggling closer.


End file.
